Occurrence of Salmonella spp. in eggs from backyard chicken flocks in Portugal and Romania - Results of a preliminary study. (July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ferreira, V.; Cardoso, M.J.; Magalhães, R.; Maia, R.; Neagu, C.; Dumitraşcu, L.; Nicolau, A.I.; Teixeira, P.
• Is Part Of: Food control. Volume 113(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-07
• Subjects: S. enterica -- S. Typhimurium -- Henhouse -- Storage -- Consumer preferences -- Multi-drug resistance (MDR); Food -- Quality -- Periodicals; Food -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Food handling -- Periodicals; Food industry and trade -- Quality control -- Periodicals; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Qualité -- Contrôle -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Qualité -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Analyse -- Périodiques; Hygiène alimentaire -- Périodiques; Food -- Analysis; Food handling; Food -- Quality; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 664.07
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2020.107180
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0956-7135

Abstract

Abstract: The aim of this study was to conduct a preliminary investigation on the occurrence of Salmonella spp. in eggs from chickens raised in backyards in Portugal and Romania. A lack of compliance with safety practices by chicken owners, was demonstrated, especially in Portugal, as 96% of the eggs were visibly dirty and 92.5% were stored at room temperature. In Romania the 202 analysed eggs were Salmonella free, whereas in Portugal six of the 200 eggs sampled were positive for Salmonella spp. (3%). A positive egg for Salmonella spp. was found in 10.7% of the 56 backyard flocks sampled in Portugal. One egg exhibited contamination both in the shell-membrane mixture and in its content, while in the remaining eggs, the pathogen was found either in the shell-membrane (n = 2) or in the yolk and white mixture (n = 3). The serotypes S. Typhimurium (with identical PFGE patterns) and S. Enteritidis were isolated from five eggs and one egg, respectively. Whilst S. Enteritidis was sensitive to the 14 antibiotics tested, S. Typhimurium isolates presented divergent antimicrobial resistant phenotypes and three were classified as multi-drug resistant. Highlights: In Portugal six of the 200 eggs were positive for Salmonella spp. (3%). 10% of backyards sampled with an egg positive for Salmonella spp. Contamination in shell (n = 2), in eggs content (n = 3), or both (n = 1). One isolate identified as S. Enteritidis and 6 as S. Typhimurium. Three S. Typhimurium isolates were classified as multi-drug resistant.