Prevention of Salmonella infection by contact using intestinal flora of adult birds and/or a mixture of organic acids

Abstract

This study was carried out to assess the ability of competitive exclusion and a mixture of organic acids to prevent Salmonella infection by contact between newly hatched chicks. A bird infected with Salmonella was placed in a box containing non-infected birds, previously treated with a broth culture of faeces of adult birds (CE) and/or a mixture of organic acids. The number of Salmonella organisms in the caeca of the contact birds was estimated at 4 and 8 days post-challenge. The birds were infected with Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Enteritidis (both repeated 5 times), Salmonella Agona and Salmonella Infantis (3 repetitions). The same approach was used to test the mixture of organic acids alone. In this case the birds received feed containing 0.8% of a mixture of formic acid (70%) and propionic acid (30%). Also, a third trial was carried out with birds inoculated with the broth culture of faeces and fed with feed containing the mixture of organic acids. Appropriate controls were included. Whereas the birds from the control groups and the groups treated with the mixture of organic acids were heavily infected with Salmonella, those pre-treated with CE or CE plus the mixture of organic acids had no viable cells per gram of caecal contents.

Probiotics and phytogenics for poultry: Myth or reality?

“…Several authors have suggested that multiple strains may be more useful than a single strain because they may act at different sites, in various modes, and probably in a synergistic manner [7,27,28]. It has also been hypothesized that mixtures of obligate and facultative anaerobic gut bacteria are more effective because the facultative anaerobes reduce oxygen levels in the anaerobic regions of the GIT, permitting the establishment of strictly anaerobic bacteria [29][30][31][32][33].…”

Salmonella fecal excretion control in broiler chickens by organic acids and essential oils blend feed added

“…When water intake was reduced during the preslaughter feed withdrawal period, the consequent reduction in acid intake resulted in an increase in the number of viable SE in the crop (Avila et al, 2003). Oliveira et al, (2000) showed that organic acids added to the feed were not able to prevent infection of birds with S. Enteritidis, S. Agona, S. Infantis and S. Typhimurium serovars, but Berchieri Jr. and Barrow (1996) observed a remarkable reduction in mortality caused by Salmonella gallinarum, affecting the rate of infection between infected and uninfected birds. The results of the use of organic acids and/ or essential oils for Salmonella control may depend upon the Salmonella serovar used as a challenge organism (Oliveira et al, 2000;Santurio et al, 2007).…”

“…Oliveira et al, (2000) showed that organic acids added to the feed were not able to prevent infection of birds with S. Enteritidis, S. Agona, S. Infantis and S. Typhimurium serovars, but Berchieri Jr. and Barrow (1996) observed a remarkable reduction in mortality caused by Salmonella gallinarum, affecting the rate of infection between infected and uninfected birds. The results of the use of organic acids and/ or essential oils for Salmonella control may depend upon the Salmonella serovar used as a challenge organism (Oliveira et al, 2000;Santurio et al, 2007). Bacteriological examination of cloacal swabs and litter samples could be negative while the animals can carry Salmonella in their tissues and excrete it intermittently under certain stress conditions (Duchet-Suchaux et al, 1997).…”

“…This disease has an important economic impact as it may affect animal performance and cause morbidity and mortality in younger birds. In addition, paratyphoid salmonellosis may result in foodborne disease in humans due to its ability to colonize the digestive tract of chickens, resulting in carcass contamination (Oliveira et al, 2000). Regarding the control of Salmonella, it is possible to decrease its fecal shedding and the contamination of chicken carcasses and eggs by adding organic acids to the feed or drinking water at appropriate times.…”

Competitive Exclusion Treatment in Poultry Management

“…According to Rantala (1974), to be fully effective, the protective material must be cultured under anaerobic conditions. However, recent studies have shown that aerobically incubated cecal cultures gave protection equal to that obtained from anaerobic incubation against S. typhimurium, S. infantis, S. agona, and S. enteritidis in newly hatched chicks (de Oliveira et al, 2000;Filho et al, 2003). Actually, this is not entirely surprising because static broth cultures develop very low redox potentials, due to the many facultative anaerobes in the inoculum, and thus obligate anaerobes may be able to multiply sufficiently.…”