Presence and diversity of Salmonella isolated from layer farms in central Ecuador

Resumen

<b>Background:</b> Given the considerable role played by <i>Salmonella</i> in the incidence of food contamination, around the world, surveillance of this infection is prioritized by both food producers and health care authorities. Data remains insufficient concerning the prevalence of <i>Salmonella</i> in poultry systems in Ecuador and in Latin America in general. <b>Methods:</b> In this study, we evaluated the presence and diversity of <i>Salmonella</i> serovars in samples taken from 21 layer farms and backyard layers in central Ecuador during August-November 2017. <i>Salmonella</i> was isolated following standardized methods (ISO 6579) and the serovar determination was carried out by PCR. <b>Results: </b>A significant presence of <i>Salmonella</i> was detected in the 21 farms evaluated, with a frequency of 76% (95% confidence interval (CI): 53-92) in environmental surfaces, 33% (95%CI: 15-57) in pooled cloacal swabs from layer hens, 33% (95% CI: 13-59) on feed samples, and 10% (95%CI: 1-30) in backyard layer feces from traditional local markets. The dominant serovars detected were <i>S.</i> Infantis and <i>S.</i> Typhimurium. <b>Conclusions:</b> This study forms a basis for further surveillance of <i>Salmonella</i> serovars in layer farms in central Ecuador.