Poultry Hatcheries Research Articles

Development of an antigen-capture monoclonal antibody–based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and comparison with culture for detection ofSalmonella entericaserovar Enteritidis in poultry hatchery environmental samples

An antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for use as a presumptive screening test for detection of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis and other group D Salmonella in poultry hatchery environments. A mixture of 2 monoclonal antibodies that recognize different forms of the lipopolysaccharide O-antigen was used for specific detection of group D Salmonella. The performance of the ELISA was evaluated in comparison to standard Salmonella culture procedures. Culture for each sample included nonselective enrichment with buffered peptone water and primary selective enrichment and delayed secondary enrichment with both tetrathionate and Rappaport-Vassiliadis broths. One thousand fifty-seven samples were collected from poultry hatcheries over a 5-year period (received in 85 submissions), and S. Enteritidis was recovered from 106 (10%) of them. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA relative to culture were 97.2% and 99.6%, respectively, on a sample basis and were both 100% on a submission basis. Delayed secondary enrichment increased the number of S. Enteritidis culture and ELISA-positive samples as compared to nonselective enrichment and primary selective enrichment by 25%. A significantly higher (P < 0.05) number of S. Enteritidis culture- and ELISA-positive results were obtained from Rappaport-Vassiliadis broth than from tetrathionate broth or buffered peptone water cultures. The results indicate that this ELISA procedure may be useful for screening poultry hatchery environmental samples for the presence of S. Enteritidis.

Role of Poultry &amp; Egg Production in the Economy of the United States

The Penn State Workforce Education and Development (WED) Initiative conducted an analysis of the economic impact of poultry and egg production in the United States. The results of the analysis provide a benchmark for measuring the total employment, employee compensation, and property taxes associated with every 100 employees working for the nation's poultry and egg producers.The 2007 Census of Agriculture counted 64,570 farms in the United States that specialize in poultry and egg U.S. sales of poultry and eggs totaled $37 billion, an increase of 55% from 2002. Total sales of poultry and eggs accounted for 12% of all agricultural products sold in the U.S. during 2007. Production of poultry and eggs is heavily concentrated in the southeastern U.S..Poultry and egg producers classified in North American Industrial Classification System code 1123. According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, establishments in this industry are primarily engaged in breeding, hatching, and raising poultry for egg production. Involved in this industry chicken egg production, poultry hatcheries, chicken, turkey, and other poultry broiler meat

Role of Poultry &amp; Egg Production in the Pennsylvania Economy

The Penn State Workforce Education and Development (WED) Initiative conducted an analysis of the economic impact of poultry and egg production in Pennsylvania.The 2007 Census of Agriculture counted 64,570 farms in the United States that specialize in poultry and egg U.S. sales of poultry and eggs totaled $37 billion, an increase of 55% from 2002. Total sales of poultry and eggs accounted for 12% of all agricultural products sold in the U.S. during 2007. Sales of poultry and eggs heavily concentrated in the southeastern U.S.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 1,397 persons were employed by Pennsylvania poultry and egg producers during the first quarter of 2009, with average monthly earnings of $2,495. New hires to the industry earned, on average, $1799 per month. Earnings of new hires in the industry averaged $1,799 per month.Poultry and egg producers classified in North American Industrial Classification System code 1123. According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, establishments in this industry are primarily engaged in breeding, hatching, and raising poultry for egg production. Involved in this industry chicken egg production, poultry hatcheries, chicken, turkey, and other poultry boiler meat

A New Approach to Evaluate the Hygienic Condition of Commercial Hatcheries

Hatchery hygiene was evaluated in two commercial broiler hatcheries using open-plate method, surface swabbing and microbiological examination of hatchery fluff. Air samples and surface swabs were collected from: inside the hatch unit, the corridor outside the hatch unit and the chick processing room, while, fluff samples were collected after hatching from the hatch unit and the chick processing room. After cleaning and disinfection process of the hatch, four commercial disinfectants were evaluated for their effectiveness for controlling the hatchery contaminants, TH4 (combination of glutaraldehyd e + quaternary ammonium ® compound), Virucidal extra (chlorine preparation), Advantage 256 (phenolics) and Perasan (per-acetic ® ® ® acid). The obtained results indicated that surface swabbing and microbiological examination of hatch fluff could detect higher degree of contamination than open-plate method in the two investigated hatcheries. Per- acetic acid preparations and (glutaraldehyde + quaternary ammonium compound) could reduce completely hatchery contaminants after 30 min of application. Conclusively, open-plate method is easy to perform and inexpensive but may give false indication that the air is clean when it is not. So, surface swabbing and microbiological examination of hatch fluff are more reliable methods for evaluating the hygienic status of a hatchery. Moreover, Surface swabbing method is more accurate than open-plate method in evaluating the decontamination process of the hatch. Hatchery sanitation and the proper use of effective disinfectant are essential for successful operation of any commercial poultry hatchery. Per-acetic acid and (glutaraldehyde + quaternary ammonium compound) proved their efficiency in controlling hatchery contaminants and can be used as safe alternatives to formalin in poultry hatcheries.

The perils of poultry

Alarming new data from the Public Health Agency of Canada suggests that widespread off-label use of cephalosporin antibiotics in poultry hatcheries is triggering human resistance to the class of antibiotics. Experts say the data warrants restrictions on off-label (use of drugs for unapproved

Sampling and bacteriological detection of salmonella in poultry and poultry premises: a review

The detection of Salmonella in primary poultry production is an issue of great concern in the European Union (EU), since control of this zoonotic disease is in part based on the reduction of the prevalence at the farm level. Success of detection is likely to be highly dependent on the choice of an adequate sampling procedure combined with a sensitive culture method. In poultry farms 'naturally pooled' faeces/litter and dust are the matrices of choice. In floor systems boot swabs are the preferred method for the collection of faeces. A wide range of culture methods is available, but ISO 6579:2002 (Annex D) is currently the standard for poultry environmental samples in the EU. In this review, the authors discuss in detail the range of sampling and culture methodologies for Salmonella in poultry farms. The review also covers sampling and testing of poultry hatcheries, live birds and poultry carcasses.

Assessing the Prevalence of Salmonella enterica in Poultry Hatcheries by Using Hatched Eggshell Membranes

Salmonella enterica causes a number of significant poultry diseases and is also a major pathogen in humans. Most poultry infected by Salmonella become carriers; infection may also be fatal, depending on the particular serovar and the age of the bird at infection. Younger birds are more susceptible to infection by Salmonella, so it is critical that hatcheries monitor birds. We developed a method to use hatched eggshell membranes (HEM) to assess contamination by Salmonella in poultry hatching cabinets and to evaluate the prevalence of Salmonella in a goose hatchery and rearing farm. Comparison of the Salmonella isolation rate in hatching cabinets using 3 sampling methods showed that the highest Salmonella contamination was detected in HEM, and that these results differed significantly from those obtained from fluff samples and cabinet swab samples (P < 0.05). Analysis of HEM was also used to evaluate Salmonella contamination in goose, chicken, and duck hatcheries. The lowest Salmonella-positive rate was found for the chicken hatchery, followed by the goose and the duck hatcheries (P < 0.05). Six serogroups of Salmonella were detected in the 3 hatcheries: A, B, C1, C2, D, and E. The distribution of these serogroups differed among the hatcheries. Salmonella serogroup C1 was the major serogroup found in geese, compared with serogroup B in chickens and ducks. However, Salmonella Typhimurium was dominant in 1 goose hatchery and also in geese from this hatchery that had been transferred to a farm. Antibiotic susceptibility analysis showed that Salmonella Typhimurium strains isolated from the farm geese with diarrhea showed significantly higher resistance to doxycycline, colistin, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprin, and cephalothin than those isolated from the hatchery (P < 0.05). Therefore, HEM as a detection target can be used to monitor Salmonella contamination in hatching cabinets and also be used to assess Salmonella prevalence in poultry hatcheries and rearing farms.

Ethiological structure and epidemiological monitoring of bacterial infections in industrially reared birds in Bulgaria

The study was performed on the 9 largest poultry farms and hatcheries in Bulgaria during the period from 2001 to 2006. Eight hundred thirty three samples from birds have been investigated seven hundred ten from gallinaceous and one hundred twenty three from waterfowl. The samples have been taken from corpse material (liver, spleen, joint, air sack, small intestine) as well from dead embryo, cloacal and nasal swabs. They were analyzed using routine laboratory or the semi-automatic system of identification CRYSTAL for enterobacteriae and staphylococci, as well as using the API-20 NE system for nonfermentative bacteria. A positive microbial finding was current in 67.8% of samples from dead chick embryos. The isolates belong to 13 different microbial species. A total of 14 species were isolated from the corpse material, nasal and cloacal swabs. Their specific presence is age dependent. Similar results have been found for waterfowl.

Short Communication: &lt;i&gt;In-vitro&lt;/i&gt; disinfectant sensitivity tests on bacteria isolated from commercial poultry hatcheries in Kenya

Short Communication: &lt;i&gt;In-vitro&lt;/i&gt; disinfectant sensitivity tests on bacteria isolated from commercial poultry hatcheries in Kenya

Investigation of Resistance of Bacteria from Commercial Poultry Sources to Commercial Disinfectants

Concern by consumers about food safety has resulted in increased pressure on poultry companies to develop effective sanitation programs. Salmonella isolates in hatcheries are often the same species isolated from processing plants. Resistance develops in bacteria after prolonged exposure to disinfectants. The methods available in published literature to detect the efficacy of disinfectants are labor intensive and do not consider how bacteria behave when adhered to a solid surface. We used a recently developed technique, which utilizes the actual surfaces on which the disinfectant is to be applied, to evaluate the degree of resistance to four commercially available disinfectants of 17 bacterial isolates from poultry hatcheries. We found that bacterial isolates within the same genus and species have different sensitivities to the same disinfectant. In addition, disinfectants with similar but not identical chemical formulations have different efficacies against the same bacteria.

Application of disinfectants in poultry hatcheries

Veterinary control and routine sanitary procedures in commercial poultry hatcheries should include the following: choice of a suitable geographical location to ensure an isolated site; proper hatchery design with separation of major operations; one-way flow of work within the hatchery; adequate ventilation of each room; routine cleaning and disinfection; formaldehyde fumigation or alternative method for disinfection of eggs, equipment and incubators; a routine programme for monitoring microbial contamination levels within the hatchery.

Epidemiology of salmonellosis in Arkansas.

Human salmonellosis continues to be a major public health issue. Our epidemiologic review of cases from 1989 to 1992 was done to define the current reported rate of infection due to Salmonella species for the state of Arkansas, which might be expected to have higher rates of infection because it is a leading producer of poultry. Results showed that the reported case rate in Arkansas (18.0/100,000) did not differ from that of the United States at large (18.6/100,000). Age-specific rates, however, showed that children less than 1 year of age in Arkansas were infected at a higher rate than those in the remainder of the nation. Salmonella newport and S typhimurium were the most commonly isolated serotypes. Individuals living in a county with poultry processing plants and hatcheries were not more likely to have salmonellosis, and individuals residing in Arkansas do not appear to be at increased risk of salmonellosis because of the poultry industry.

Biocidal Activity of Ozone Versus Formaldehyde Against Poultry Pathogens Inoculated in a Prototype Setter ,

Ozone was evaluated as an alternative hatchery disinfectant to replace formaldehyde in the event that the Environmental Protection Agency regulates the use of formaldehyde under the Toxic Substances Control Act. Cultures of Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Bacillus species previously isolated from poultry hatcheries and selected culture collections of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Salmonella typhimurium, Proteus species, and Aspergillus fumigatus were spread-plated on open petri plates and independently fumigated with ozone or formaldehyde in a prototype laboratory poultry setter. Ozone (1.52% to 1.65% by weight) resulted in bacterial reductions of >4 to 7 log10 and fungal reductions of >4 log10, whereas formaldehyde achieved reductions of >7 log10 and >5 log10, respectively, after 8 min of exposure to either disinfectant. Potential mutagenic effects were observed in ozonated E. coli colonies resulting in decreased superoxide dismutase activity and increased catalase activity when compared with nonozonated control colonies. In this study ozone reduced microorganism counts but not as much as formaldehyde. Ozone may be used as a disinfectant against selected microorganisms, although further testing under actual hatchery conditions is needed before making recommendations to the industry.

Microbiological Monitoring of Hatchery Sanitation

A comparative microbiological evaluation of sanitation practices used in six Canadian hatcheries was conducted by means of a commercially available swab kit. An assessment was made of its potential for routine use in monitoring hatchery sanitation by plant personnel. Hatcher machine inlets, exhausts, and room floors were identified as reservoirs of organisms after regular clean-up procedures had been completed. Isolated hatchery organisms were identified and the four test kit media were evaluated for their ability to exclude or support the growth of a variety of organisms. Nonselective bacteriological media in the kit were most informative for routine sanitation monitoring. A comparison between the swab kit and the direct surface agar plate techniques was undertaken in laboratory tests during which microorganisms isolated from poultry hatcheries were recovered from samples of hatchery surfaces. There was no significant difference between the two methods for recovery of Pseudomonas fragi, E. coli, Proteus, and Staphylococcus, but better recoveries were obtained for another strain of Pseudomonas and Salmonella hadar when the direct surface agar plate technique was used. Better recovery of Paecilomyces variotii was obtained when the swab kit technique was used. The lethal effect of drying on poultry microorganisms was evaluated after air drying the organisms on membrane filters.

Studies in Hatchery Sanitation: 1. Fluctuations in Microbial Counts of air in Poultry Hatcheries

EFFECTIVE sanitation measures have long been required of hatcheries but only recently has a systematic grading of their sanitary status been attempted. In Canada, the microbial examination of hatcher fluff as developed by Wright et al. (1959) has been the means by which the majority of hatcheries have been evaluated in a program jointly operated by federal and provincial personnel. In Great Britain, investigation of the microbial counts of air in incubators and hatchery rooms revealed a marked increase during periods of activity such as taking off and boxing chicks, Anonymous (1960). Chute and Gershman (1961) employed an Andersen sampler for determining bacterial and mold counts in a variety of machines and concluded that this method was useful in evaluating the sanitary program of a hatchery. Gentry et al. (1962) found that the bacterial contamination as revealed by the Andersen sampler was lower in a hatchery whose design tended to…