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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 #324819
Title: Colonization of internal organs by Salmonella Enteritidis in experimentally infected laying hens housed in enriched colony cages at different stocking densities

Author
item Gast, Richard
item Guraya, Rupinder - Rupa
item Jones, Deana
item ANDERSON, KENNETH - North Carolina State University
item KARCHER, DARRIN - Michigan State University

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/15/2016
Publication Date: 7/20/2016
Citation: Gast, R.K., Guraya, R., Jones, D.R., Anderson, K.E., Karcher, D. 2013. Colonization of internal organs by Salmonella Enteritidis in experimentally infected laying hens housed in enriched colony cages at different stocking densities. American Association of Avian Pathologist Annual Meeting. p.62.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The frequency of human infections with Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) has been linked to contaminated eggs and thus to SE prevalence in commercial egg-laying flocks. Contamination of the edible contents of eggs is a consequence of SE colonization of reproductive tissues in systemically infected hens. The animal welfare implications of poultry housing systems have been widely debated, but the food safety significance of laying hen housing remains unresolved. The present study determined the effects of two different bird stocking densities on the invasion of internal organs by SE in groups of experimentally infected laying hens housed in colony cages enriched with perching and nesting areas. Groups of laying hens were distributed at two different stocking densities into colony cages and (along with a group housed in conventional cages) orally inoculated with doses of 107 cfu of SE. At 5-6 d post-inoculation, hens were euthanized and samples of internal organs were removed for bacteriologic culturing. SE was recovered at a significantly (P < 0.05) greater frequency from hens in enriched colony cages at the higher stocking density than at the lower density from livers (75.0% vs. 51.4%) and ovaries (51.4% vs. 30.6%), However, spleens from hens in enriched colony cages at the higher stocking density were significantly less often positive fo SE than from hens in conventional cages at that same density (90.3% vs. 68.1%). These results suggest that stocking density can influence the susceptibility of hens to SE, but other housing systems parameters may also contribute to the outcome of infections