Salmonellosis in sheep wintered outdoors on straw and sawdust pads

The incidence and significance of salmonella carriage by gulls (Larus spp.) in Scotland

“…Any role which they may have in the cycle of salmonella infections would presumably be in the contamination of pastureland, with the subsequent infection of farm animals, and both Johnston, Maclennan & Hopkins (1979) and Williams et al (1977) suggested that gulls have been the source of salmonella infections in cattle. Whilst experimental infections offarm animals have demonstrated that large numbers of salmonellae are normally required to produce clinical symptoms in healthy animals (Brown, Ross & Smith, 1976Hall & Jones, 1978), it has been suggested that low doses of salmonella can cause infections in stressed animals (Josland, 1953;Dennis & Armstrong, 1965;Tannock et al 1971;Spence & Westwood, 1978). Although gulls excrete low numbers of salmonellae, large numbers of gulls can collect on pastureland and water supplies, and when infections of farm animals occur without the source of the organism being found, the possibility of contamination of pastureland, water or feedstuffs by gulls should not be ignored.…”