title: Prevalence of Salmonella serotypes in male mule ducks in Belgium.
abstract: Salmonella species infections of male mule ducks were studied for 32 months in 100 flocks on nine duck farms in Belgium. The prevalence of Salmonella species infections changed significantly over time (P<0.001) with infection rates of 50, 13.4, 6.7, 2.6 and 2.9 per cent, respectively, at the time of arrival on the farm, at three, six and nine weeks of age, and when the ducks left the breeding unit to enter the force-feeding rooms (at 11 or 12 weeks of age). During the study period, 95 strains of Salmonella were isolated, belonging to 11 serotypes. S Indiana (42.1 per cent) and S Regent (36.8 per cent) were the two most common serotypes, whereas S Typhimurium and S Enteritidis were found only once (1.1 per cent). All isolated strains were resistant to at least two antimicrobials, but resistance to more than five antimicrobials was observed in 21.6 per cent of the strains.
authors.affiliation: Divison of Bird, Rodents and Rabbit Clinic, Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals and Equine, Faculty of Veterinary Medecine, University of Liège, Sart-Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flament
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soubbotina
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mainil
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marlier
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D004372:Ducks / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012475:Salmonella / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012703:Serotyping / Q000662:veterinary*