Detection of S. enterica in different materials from the environment of pig herds

Salmonella contamination of pork carcasses as a result of subclinical salmonella infection in pig herds constitutes a menace to human health. Since 1993 there has been a national surveillance system in Denmark with the aim of monitoring and controlling salmonella infections in pig herds (Mousing et al., 1997). Application of the HACCP principles in control of salmonella infection at herd level depends on the possibility of characterizing the bacteriological status of the different sections of the herd in order to define the critical control points of the production. The objective of the present study was to characterize the microbiological status of the environment in pig herds with respect to different types of salmonella infection, and to evaluate the availability of material which is easy to collect and sensitive in the bacteriological examination