title: Salmonella isolation from litter as an indicator of flock infection and carcass contamination.
abstract: The Salmonella status of 15 different farm flocks was assessed at the farm level and at processing plants. Bacteriological examination for Salmonella was made of litter, dust, feed, 5-day-old culled chicks, and chicken carcasses. Fresh straw litter was found contaminated with Salmonella and may be a source of flock infection. Culture of floor litter can be a practical method for detecting flock infection, and culture of 6-weeks litter in particular would  be a good indicator of carcass contamination at processing plants. Properly pelleted feed did not contain Salmonella. Processing did not render carcasses free of Salmonella.
mesh_terms: D000391:Air Microbiology; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D004391:Dust; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006799:Housing, Animal; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D008372:Manure; D008460:Meat; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D012475:Salmonella / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D008372:Manure