The use of roller swabs for salmonella detection in poultry litter

Authors: TOLORICO, A - Auburn University; BAILEY, M - Auburn University; MUNOZ, L - Auburn University; CHASTEEN, K - Auburn University; PAL, A - Auburn University; KREHLING, J - Auburn University; BOURASSA, D - Auburn University; Buhr, Richard - Jeff; MACKLIN, K - Auburn University

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Poultry Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/12/2021
Publication Date: 5/13/2021
Citation: Tolorico, A.A., Bailey, M.A., Munoz, L.R., Chasteen, K.S., Pal, A., Krehling, J.T., Bourassa, D.V., Buhr, R.J., Macklin, K.S. 2021. The use of roller swabs for salmonella detection in poultry litter. Journal of Applied Poultry Research. 30(3):100163-100169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japr.2021.100163.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japr.2021.100163

Interpretive Summary: Litter sampling is used as a non-invasive and practical method to determine broiler chicken flock Salmonella status for both commercial and research houses. The common methods include Boot Cover/sock, Drag Swab, or Litter Grab sampling. Paint roller swabs are a new research method that can be used to sample litter without entering research pens. This study aimed to assess the use of roller swabs for Salmonella detection in comparison to other sampling methods. For Experiment 1, litter was sampled for two weeks following a broiler flock that was challenged at 6 days of age with Salmonella to establish a high litter prevalence. In Experiment 2, sampling occurred after a subsequent flock was raised on the same litter. In Experiment 1, Salmonella was detected by Roller Swabs less frequently (81%) than Drag Swabs (95%), Boot Covers (97%), and Litter Grabs (98%). In Experiment 2, Salmonella detection using Roller Swabs (23%) was similar to Liter Grabs (17%), higher than Drag Swabs (6%), and lower than Boot Covers (55%). Although Roller Swabs were a less sensitive sampling method when the litter prevalence of Salmonella was high, Roller Swabs were equivalent to or better than Liter Grabs and Drag Swabs methods when Salmonella prevalence was low. The use of Roller Swabs allows for sampling of litter without entering each pen and has the potential to be utilized for Salmonella detection in research pen trials.

Technical Abstract: Litter sampling is utilized as a non-invasive and practical method to determine broiler flock Salmonella status. The common methods include boot cover/sock (BC), drag swab (DS), or litter grab sampling (LG). Roller swabs are a new research method that can be used to sample litter without entering research pens. This study aimed to assess the use of roller swabs (RS) for Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) detection in comparison to BC, DS, and LG. For Experiment 1, litter was sampled for two weeks following a broiler flock that was challenged at 6 days of age with 1x10^7cfu of a nalidixic acid resistant strain of SE to establish a high litter prevalence of SE. In Experiment 2, sampling occurred after a subsequent flock was raised on the same litter. In Experiment 1, SE was detected by RS less frequently (81%) than DS (95%), BC (97%), and LG (98%) (P < 0.0001). In Experiment 2, SE detection using RS (23%) was similar to LG (17%), higher than DS (6%, P = 0.022), and lower than BC (55%, P < 0.0001). Although RS were a less sensitive sampling method when the litter prevalence of SE was high, RS were equivalent to or better than LG and DS methods when SE prevalence was low. The use of roller swabs allows for sampling of litter without entering each pen and has the potential to be utilized for Salmonella detection in research pen trials.