title: Low Prevalence ofSalmonella Entericain Cull Dairy Cattle at Slaughter in Northern Italy.
abstract: In order to evaluateSalmonellacarrier status of cull dairy cattle at slaughter, 125 animals were randomly selected during the period February-May 2016. Dairy cows were reared in 89 farms located in two regions of Northern Italy (Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions), where bovine milk is primarily used forParmigiano-Reggianocheese andGrana Padanocheese production. Samples were collected by swabbing a 400-cm2area of the brisket hide and by rectoanal mucosal swabs. They were tested following the reference ISO 6579 method and the isolates were serotyped following the Kauffmann-White-Le Minor scheme and genotyped byXbaI PFGE.Salmonellawas detected in 1.6% of the brisket hide samples (2/125) (95% CI: 0.4-5.6) and never found in faecal samples (95% CI: 0-3%). The positive cattle were reared in two farms located only in Emilia-Romagna region. The isolates were typed asS.Derby andS.Seftenberg. The comparison of the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns of the bovine strains with all the PFGE patterns of the same serotypes responsible for human salmonellosis cases notified in Emilia-Romagna region in the years 2013-2015 did not find any correspondence. Therefore, the role of cull dairy cattle in transmittingSalmonellato humans seems to be less important than those of pigs and poultry in EU, but more data are needed for completing attribution source studies.
authors.affiliation: Food Hygiene Unit, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma , Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonardi
authors.affiliation: Food Hygiene Unit, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma , Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bruini
authors.affiliation: Parma Local Health Unit, National Veterinary Service , Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Magnani
authors.affiliation: Parma Local Health Unit, National Veterinary Service , Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicolò
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cannistrà
authors.affiliation: Food Hygiene Unit, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma , Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brindani
keywords: Cattle; Faeces; Hide; Salmonella enterica; Slaughterhouse