title: Comparison of drag-swab environmental protocols for the isolation of Salmonella in poultry houses.
abstract: Three surveys were conducted during November 1995 and March and May 1996 to compare the use of double-strength skim milk (wet) or no transport media (dry) drag swabs for the detection of salmonellae in 10 broiler houses. Salmonellae were isolated from 57 of 120 individual wet drag-swab samples, compared with 21 of 120 dry drag-swab samples. Furthermore, Salmonella was detected at a higher frequency with wet drag swabs (66.7%) than with dry drag swabs (40%) when compared on an individual growout house basis. A total of seven different serotypes were isolated from the 10 broiler houses. Although double-strength skim milk drag swabs are more labor intensive than dry drag swabs, double-strength skim milk drag swabs are more efficient for detecting Salmonella than are dry drag swabs with no transport media.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, College Station, TX, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Byrd
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Corrier
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: DeLoach
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Nisbet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002645:Chickens; D003470:Culture Media; D006799:Housing, Animal / Q000592:standards*; D008892:Milk; D012475:Salmonella / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012703:Serotyping; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media