title: Effect of on-farm litter acidification treatments on Campylobacter and Salmonella populations in commercial broiler houses in northeast Georgia.
abstract: Two commercially available litter treatments, aluminum sulfate and sodium bisulfate, were tested to determine their effect on Campylobacter and Salmonella levels associated with commercial broilers during a 6-wk grow-out period. A total of 20 broiler houses at 10 different locations were studied; 5 aluminum sulfate-treated houses, 5 sodium bisulfate-treated houses, and 10 paired, untreated control houses. A single application rate was investigated for each treatment. Fecal samples (n=20 per house) were analyzed at wk 2, 4, and 5 and 6 for Campylobacter and Salmonella. The results indicated that, at the application rates investigated, both acidifying litter treatments caused a slight delay in the onset of Campylobacter colonization in broiler chicks. Salmonella levels remained unaffected, with no significant effect seen with either treatment (P > 0.05). Campylobacter populations and Salmonella incidence associated with unprocessed, whole-carcass rinse samples (n=10 per house) analyzed at the end of production (wk 5 and 6) were unaffected by treatment.
authors.affiliation: Russell Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Athens, Georgia 30677, USA. eline@saa.ars.usda.gov
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Line
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bailey
mesh_terms: D000534:Alum Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005430:Floors and Floorcoverings; D005845:Georgia; D006799:Housing, Animal / Q000592:standards*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D012475:Salmonella / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013431:Sulfates / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000534:Alum Compounds; D013431:Sulfates; C012036:sodium sulfate; C041524:aluminum sulfate