Response to Questions Posed by the Food Safety and Inspection Service: Enhancing Salmonella Control in Poultry Products

Risk assessment predicts most of the salmonellosis risk in raw chicken parts is concentrated in those few products with high-levels of high-virulent serotypes ofSalmonella

“…There is substantial evidence that the >2,600 Salmonella serotypes can differ in virulence and public health risk (Fierer & Guiney, 2001; Grimont & Weill, 2007; Jones et al, 2008) with clear genomic and epidemiologic data that isolates representing some serotypes and clades show a substantially lower or higher risk of causing human illness (Fenske et al, 2023; Teunis, 2022). However, no previously published poultry QMRA adequately modeled risk comparing factors including prevalence and level with a comprehensive treatment of serotype-specific DR model (NACMCF, 2024).…”

“…Another process control strategy can be serotype-specific control strategies. One commonly used example is the vaccination of live birds in poultry houses against one or a few high-virulent serotypes, e.g., Typhimurium (Dórea et al, 2010; NACMCF, 2024; Hofacre et al, 2021). The U.S. has seen a substantial decrease in infections caused by Typhimurium and Heidelberg last 20 years and this seems to match with the timing when commercial poultry vaccines against Typhimurium became available (NACMCF, 2024).…”

“…One commonly used example is the vaccination of live birds in poultry houses against one or a few high-virulent serotypes, e.g., Typhimurium (Dórea et al, 2010; NACMCF, 2024; Hofacre et al, 2021). The U.S. has seen a substantial decrease in infections caused by Typhimurium and Heidelberg last 20 years and this seems to match with the timing when commercial poultry vaccines against Typhimurium became available (NACMCF, 2024). Another example could be preharvest lotting strategies, where one would test incoming flocks for high-virulent serotypes and apply additional risk reduction measures to those flocks.…”

“…Regulation based on Salmonella prevalence does not appear to have adequately reduced human illness cases attributed to poultry, so there is a shift toward considering the risk of high levels of contamination and different risk presented by contamination by individual serotypes, to inform potential risk management strategies (NACMCF, 2024). Studies of the Salmonella dose-response (DR) relationship indicated that outbreaks are often associated with higher doses causing a higher attack rate (Teunis et al, 2010).…”