Sources of paratyphoid Salmonella in the production chain of broilers in the Northern mesoregion of Maranhão State, Brazil

Abstract

Paratyphoid Salmonella significantly impacts modern poultry farming, because it is one of the main causes of foodborne diseases in the world. Efforts have been made by the government and poultry industry to reduce the existence of Salmonella in the entire poultry production chain through sanitary programs. The aim of this work was to investigate the occurrence of Salmonella spp. and its serovars in environmental sources of production, poultry, and carcasses slaughtered in an artisanal manner in the northern mesoregion of Maranhão State, Brazil. A total of 520 samples were collected, comprising drag swabs (n = 60), prope (n = 60), cecal feces (n = 60), feed of feeder (n = 60), and cloacal swabs (n = 100) of poultry sent for slaughter, and newly slaughtered carcasses (n = 180). The samples were subjected to culture and isolation of Salmonella spp. and serotyping. The occurrence of the genus Salmonella was 25.0% (15/60) in drag swabs, 16.6% (10/60) in prope, 1.7% (1/60) in cecal feces, absent (0/60) in the feed, 7% (7/100) in cloacal swabs, and 48.9% (88/180) in poultry carcasses. Fifteen Salmonella enterica serovars were identified in the samples, with the highest occurrence in the Schwarzengrund (28.09%; 34/121), Albany (19.83%; 24/121), Enteritidis (7.43%; 9/121), and Heidelberg (7.43%; 9/121). Salmonella ser. Schwarzengrund showed higher predominance in the poultry production chain, with greater isolation in carcass samples (34 isolates), while Salmonella ser. Enteritidis had the highest occurrence in the initial production chain. The results of our study indicate the need to implement sanitary control in farms for paratyphoid salmonella and that artisanal poultry slaughter can increase bacterial dissemination in the final product, representing a public health risk.

Characterization of Salmonella Isolates Recovered from Stages of the Processing Lines at Four Broiler Processing Plants in Trinidad and Tobago

“…This is an indication that the prevalence of Salmonella was relatively low on the poultry farms from where the slaughtered birds originated. Our findings agree with the prevalence of Salmonella in cloacal swabs of broilers pre-slaughter reported in Trinidad and Tobago, 3.95% (3/76) [62]; Brazil, 7.0% (7/100) [20]; and Colombia, 12.5% (8/64) [63].…”

“…Unhygienic carcass handling, soiled slaughter equipment [ 14 , 15 ], contaminated water (scalding and immersion chiller water), and waste generated from evisceration and the de-feathering processes have been implicated as major sources of Salmonella contamination during broiler processing [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Salmonella -free broilers leaving farms may potentially become contaminated by the pathogen during processing through contact with immersion chiller water contaminated with Salmonella originating from the positive broilers [ 19 , 20 ]. This can occur, should there be improper pH and chemical agents’ concentrations, as well as a failure to maintain good sanitary practices throughout processing [ 21 ].…”

Contamination and antimicrobial resistance profile of Escherichia coli in chicken carcasses from public markets in Maranhão

“…The Brazilian poultry industry is intensely growing, but chicken meat is still sold in open fairs and public markets in Brazilian municipalities, especially in the North and Northeast regions (BRITO et al, 2019). These places have a large flow of consumers and attract attention for selling fresh food and wide variety of products, and having diversity of prices (SANTOS et al, 2019).…”