Characterization of Salmonella from Commercial Egg-Laying Hen Farms in a Central Region of Colombia.

Salmonellosis affects humans more frequently than any other foodborne disease, and it causes severe economic losses in the poultry industry. A cross-sectional study was carried out to estimate the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in laying hen farms in the Tolima region of Colombia. Fifteen egg-laying hen farms were sampled, and a total of 589 samples were cultured to isolate Salmonella spp. A total of 14 isolates of Salmonella spp. were recovered from five farms, resulting in a prevalence of 33.33% (95%, confidence interval = 14%-53%) at the farm level. Salmonella spp. were recovered from eggshells (57.15%, n = 8), feed (28.57%, n = 4), and environmental samples (14.29%, n = 2). Farm practices, such as the milling of feed (odds ratio [OR] = 24) and the storage of eggs in the henhouses (OR = 11.25), in addition to the feed type (OR = 7.64) and the use of bamboo for construction of the facility (OR = 5.24), were identified as risk factors for Salmonella spp. The 14 isolates were identified as Salmonella Enteritidis (n = 6) and Salmonella Shannon (n = 8), and both serovars were resistant to a number of antibiotics. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis presented three different XbaI macrorestriction patterns. The Salmonella Enteritidis isolates all presented a single pattern, whereas the Salmonella Shannon isolates were grouped into two distinct patterns. The results indicate that Salmonella spp. could be recovered from various sources at laying hen farms, and eggshell contamination is a particular concern.

Risk analysis and bovine tuberculosis, a re-emerging zoonosis.

The widespread of immunodeficiency with AIDS, the consequence of poverty on sanitary protection and information at both individual and state levels lead control of tuberculosis (TB) to be one of the priorities of World Health Organization programs. The impact of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) on humans is poorly documented. However, BTB remains a major problem for livestock in developing countries particularly in Africa and wildlife is responsible for the failure of TB eradication programs. In Africa, the consumption of raw milk and raw meat, and the development of bushmeat consumption as a cheap source of proteins, represent one of the principal routes for human contaminations with BTB. The exploration of these different pathways using tools as participatory epidemiology allows the risk analysis of the impact of BTB on human health in Africa. This analysis represents a management support and decision tool in the study and the control of zoonotic BTB.

Salmonella on Raw Poultry in Retail Markets in Guatemala: Levels, Antibiotic Susceptibility, and Serovar Distribution.

The objective of this study was to determine Salmonella numbers on retail raw chicken carcasses in Guatemala and to phenotypically characterize the isolates (serotyping and antibiotic susceptibility). In total, 300 chicken carcasses were collected from seven departments in Guatemala. Salmonella numbers were determined using the most-probable-number method following the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service protocol. In total, 103 isolates were obtained, all of which were tested for antibiotic susceptibility, whereas 46 isolates were serotyped. Overall, Salmonella prevalence and mean number (mean log most probable number per carcass) was 34.3% and 2.3 (95% confidence interval: 2.1 to 2.5), respectively. Significant differences (P < 0.05) in Salmonella prevalence were found by storage condition (refrigerated or ambient temperature), market type (wet markets, supermarkets, and independent poultry stores), chicken production system (integrated or nonintegrated production company), and chicken skin color (white or yellow). Chickens produced by integrated companies had lower Salmonella numbers (P < 0.05) than nonintegrated companies, and white-skin carcasses had lower numbers (P < 0.05) than yellow-skin carcasses. Among 13 different Salmonella serovars identified, Paratyphi B (34.8%) was most prevalent, followed by Heidelberg (16.3%) and Derby (11.6%). Of all the Salmonella isolates, 59.2% were resistant to one to three antibiotics and 13.6% to four or more antibiotics. Among all the serovars obtained, Salmonella Paratyphi B and Heidelberg were the most resistant to the antibiotics tested. Salmonella levels and antibiotic resistant profiles among isolates from raw poultry at the retail market level were high relative to other reports from North and South America. These data can be used by Guatemalan stakeholders to develop risk assessment models and support further research opportunities to control transmission of Salmonella spp. and antibiotic-resistant isolates from chicken meat to humans.

Modelo de regresión logística para determinar relaciones de equipos de ordeño con la presentación de la mastitis bovina en fincas del altiplano cundiboyacense / Logistic regression models to determine the relation between milking machines and bovine mastitis presentation in farms of the cundiboyacense plane region

Por medio de un estudio epidemiológico transversal en la Sabana de Bogotá y los valles de Ubaté y Chiquinquirá, se evaluó el funcionamiento de 37 equipos de ordeño mediante la realización de las pruebas estáticas y dinámicas; el diagnóstico de mastitis bovina fue realizado en 2854 vacas en ordeño. El modelo de regresión logística determinó cuales factores estaban asociados con la presencia o ausencia de mastitis bovina. La colocación de las unidades de ordeño sin la admisión de aire, el cumplimiento de la relación entre el número de unidades de ordeño y el diámetro de la tubería de pulsación fueron priorizados como factores de protección. La inadecuada eficiencia del regulador, el resbalamiento de las unidades de ordeño y un malfuncionamiento de los pulsadores se consideraron como factores de riesgo. Se determinó que el factor de riesgo que más esta contribuyendo a la presencia de mastitis bovina es el sobreordeño, definido como ordeño en seco, sobremanipulación de las unidades de ordeño,masaje sobre las ubres o la combinación de todas las anteriores formas, consideradas estas últimas prácticas como aspectos indeseables en una excelente rutina de ordeño.