Salmonella Virchow in a Chicken-packing Station and Associated Rearing Units

Abstract

Summary: In tracing the source of an outbreak of foodpoisoning with Salmonella virchow a chicken-packing station and associated rearing farms were investigated. The serotype was found in chickens in 9 of the 14 rearing farms investigated and in the hatchery, but not in the breeding flocks supplying the hatchery. Several personnel on the farms were affected. The infection was most likely to have been introduced by contaminated feedingstuffs.

Recent trends in human salmonellosis in England and Wales: the epidemiology of prevalent serotypes other than Salmonella typhimurium

“…The source was traced to a packing station where S. virchow was isolated from chicken carcasses. The organism was also found in chickens on farms supplying the packing station (Pennington, Brooksbank, Poole & Seymour, 1968 In the early 1960's S. enteritidis was isolated on a few occasions from egg products but since 1967 poultry, particularly chickens, has been the only human food in which it has been found in substantial numbers. The organism has been isolated from abattoirs and poultry factories, from the main food animal sources, particularly poultry, and from feed ingredients.…”

Outbreak of Food-poisoning Caused by Salmonella Virchow in Spit-roasted Chicken

“…It was clear that a high proportion of chickens being dispatched from this station were contaminated. This was confirmed by the findings of the medical officer of health for the area and the director of Chester Public Health Laboratory, who reported isolating S. virchow from chickens at the packing-station and on the farms which supply the station with chickens; and the veterinary investigation officer isolated the organism from the dust of the hatchery which supplies day-old chicks to the farms (Pennington et al, 1968). Discussion S. zirchow is not a common cause of food-poisoning.…”

“…Discussion S. zirchow is not a common cause of food-poisoning. In 1966 of 2,496 incidents of salmonella food-poisoning reported to the Public Health Laboratory Service, only two were caused by S. virchow (Vernon, 1967 (Pennington et al, 1968). It is clear, however, that when a high proportion of chickens going to the retail market are contaminated with a type of salmonella capable of causing serious disease in man this is a public health hazard which cannot be ignored.…”

Salmonella typhimuriumcontamination of processed broiler chickens after a subclinical infection

“…Phage type 20a, the next commonest strain in humans (9.15 %), was not found in poultry but did occur in cattle. A salmonella infection in a breeding flock may spread successively to the broiler flock, the processing plant and thence to the consumer, who may not appreciate the danger of handling uncooked carcasses or the importance of adequate thawing and cooking (Anon, 1969; Pennington, Brooksbank, Poole & Seymour, 1968;Semple, Turner & Lowry, 1968).…”