The most common serotype of the genus Salmonella reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from cases of human gastroenteritis for the years 1994 through the present is Enteritidis, (Se). In the majority of outbreaks for which a food vehicle was identified, the identified food was whole in-shell chicken eggs. In 1991, the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service of the USDA published a Rule governing the testing of commercial egg producing chicken flocks that involved the necropsy of 60 birds from a potentially infected flock. This Rule was subsequently modified in 1993, and the testing requirements were changed to the microbiological testing of egg collection devices and bird manure.The majority of samples of the type currently analyzed by diagnostic laboratories culture negative for the presence of Se, this analysis requiring 3-4 days to be completed. In addition, obtaining the necessary samples for analysis is time consuming and often dangerous. The proposed program would demonstrate the feasibility of a lateral flow device for the detection of Se in samples taken from egg belts and manure as currently practiced. This rapid method would require only 1 day to obtain results.
Anticipated Results/Potential Commercial Applications of Research::Successful development of a lateral flow device for the detection of Se in commercial egg laying flocks would offer a practical method to replace conventional methodologies currently being used for flock testing. Furthermore, alternatives to manure and egg belt testing may be discovered which would allow sampling to be performed in a much more cost beneficial and safer manner than is currently being employed. This combination of testing and sampling could save the federal, state and U.S. poultry industry thousands of dollars each year and prevent thousands of cases of human gastroenteritis per year.Development of the specific lateral flow device and laboratory testing of the device will require 2 months. Specific Pathogen-Free White Leghorn hens will be orally infected with members of the genus Salmonella during this same time frame. Testing of the enrichment broth and lateral flow device will be performed during the last 4 months of the program, testing being performed on eggs, manure and environmental samples obtained from hen houses occupied by orally infected laying hens.
