Investigation of the environmental presence of Salmonella spp. in finishing pigs at commercial swine farms in Kansas (USA)

Abstract

Abstract Salmonellosis remains a major foodborne disease threat to public health worldwide. Swine are considered a reservoir for many Salmonella serotypes affecting humans; however, not all serotypes of concern in food animal products cause clinical signs of infection in swine. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence and distribution of Salmonella spp. in finishing pigs at commercial farms across Kansas (USA). Five farms were selected and sampled when pigs weighed between 125 and 136 kg. Samples were collected and transported to the laboratory for processing following USDA-FSIS guidelines. Susceptibility and resistance profiles were also studied. Fifty-three percent (100/186) of samples were culture positive for Enterobacteriaceae, and 14% (14/100) were confirmed Salmonella positive by PCR with three of five farms having no PCR-positive samples. Salmonella serotype Braenderup was the most common serovar identified in environmental samples, while Salm. Infantis, Agona, and Montevideo were identified in fecal samples. Multidrug resistance patterns were only found in Farm 3, in fecal samples and in one floor sample. The observations reported in this study highlight areas of concern, such as locations prone to fecal contamination, to be considered when cleaning and sanitizing between groups of pigs to decrease presence of Salmonella spp. in farm environments.