The role of truck wash practices in dissemination of Salmonella and Campylobacter in commercial swine production

Abstract

This study investigated the sources of two foodborne pathogens, Salmonella and Campylobacter in a commercial swine production system. Pathogens were characterized using conventional culture and isolation techniques and antibiograms. Four swine herds were selected and followed from late nursery to slaughter along with the four truck washes servicing the system. Increase in Salmonella prevalence with increasing age from late nursery to slaughter was found. Prevalence of Campylobacter fluctuated in different age groups throughout the production period. All truck washes, except truck wash D, showed a reduction in contamination from pre to post wash. It was found that trucks remain a potential source of Salmonella and Campylobacter even after washing and disinfection. The type and extent of multi-drug resistance varied by stage of production and environmental source. Genotypic profiling is underway to determine the clonality of isolates from pigs, trucks and environmental samples to better characterize important sources of cross contamination.

An investigation into the efficacy of washing trucks following the transportation of pigs - a Salmonella perspective

“…before transportation, desp1te dnvers bemg asked to clean and disinfect the1r trucks thoroughly before loading the p1gs (Swanenburg et a/., 2001 ). Dorr et a/. (2005) showed a reduction in contammalion levels from pre to post wash, however, trucks still remained a potential source of Salmonella spp.…”

An Investigation into the Efficacy of Washing Trucks Following the Transportation of Pigs—ASalmonellaPerspective

“…This high isolation rate could be attributed to the truck surfaces still being wet when the sampling was performed, and the use of a high-pressure power wash may have contributed to the spread of Salmonella organisms. When evaluating the role of truck wash practices in disseminating Salmonella and Campylobacter spp., Dorr et al (2005) showed a reduction in contamination levels from pre-to postwash; however, trucks still remained a potential source of Salmonella spp. Despite this, Rajkowski et al (1998) showed that improved cleaning procedures after animal unloading could significantly reduce the incidence of Salmonella spp.…”