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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Egg and Poultry Production Safety Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #288441

Title: Assessing the Significance of Salmonella Heidelberg Infections in Egg-Laying Flocks

Author
item Gast, Richard

Submitted to: Egg-Cite
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/29/2012
Publication Date: 10/30/2012
Citation: Gast, R.K. 2012. Assessing the Significance of Salmonella Heidelberg Infections in Egg-Laying Flocks. Trade Journal Publication. http://egg-cite.com/presentations/gast/slideshow.aspx.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Salmonella Heidelberg has been common in North American poultry (including commercial laying flocks) for many years. Public health authorities have implicated both poultry meat and eggs as significant sources for the transmission of S. Heidelberg infections to humans. S. Heidelberg colonizes the intestinal tract and invades internal organs of hens (including the reproductive tract) similarly to S. Enteritidis. Some S. Heidelberg strains can be deposited inside the contents of developing eggs laid by systemically infected hens, but at far lower frequencies than are typical for S. Enteritidis. No unique serotype-specific control issues differentiate S. Heidelberg from other salmonellae.