Flies and Salmonella: A Bad Combo in Poultry Houses
Published: March 20, 2008
Source : USDA Agricultural Research Service
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) microbiologist Peter S. Holt and entomologist Christopher J. Geden found that the common housefly, Musca domestica, readily picks up bacteria from its surroundings. When the chickens eat the flies, the bacteria get inside the birds. Holt works in the Egg Safety and Quality Research Unit at the ARS Richard B. Russell Research Center in Athens, Ga., while Geden is at the ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology in Gainesville, Fla.
“We decided to investigate whether infected hens could pass the infection on to flies,” says Holt, “and whether those flies could then infect healthy birds. If so, we wanted to see how that happens and where the Salmonella bacteria appear on—and in—the flies.”
In three experiments, Holt placed chickens in individual, adjacent laying cages. Geden delivered fly pupae just 48 hours short of hatching as flies; this timing ensures the flies aren't exposed to any microbe prior to emergence. The fly pupae were placed in an open box in the bird room. Three days later, hens were orally infected with Salmonella.
The researchers detected the bacteria in and on 45 to 50 percent of the flies within the first 48 hours of the flies' hatching.
Next, uninfected hens were exposed to the newly infected flies. Just being around the flies didn't cause healthy birds to become infected, but eating infected flies did. This showed that simple physical contact may not be the primary method of transfer of Salmonella bacteria to different surfaces in a poultry house. But, according to the researchers, a hen's eating of contaminated flies does seem to be the primary mechanism of transmission of Salmonella from flies to birds.
According to Holt, this shows that flies in poultry houses are not only a nuisance, but also a threat to the safety of poultry products.
Source
USDA Agricultural Research ServiceRelated topics:
Recommend
Comment
Share
Meriden Animal Health Limited
16 de junio de 2009
There was a poultry farm I visited in Egypt recently, the place was swarming with flies! There were flies everywhere, on my face, ears, nose, lips, hands…dont get me wrong, I’m no stranger to flies in poultry farms, but this to me, was really out of control. It was like the movie “Killer Bees.” These were no ordinary flies, they were an “angry” species of Musca domestica…energetic and buzzing like crazy.
The good thing is, I had some oregano essential oil with me, which I used as a repellent. It worked instantly. The flies did not like the smell of oregano and stayed away. Various studies have shown the ability of oregano essential oil or its active components in fly control and as a repellent.
The other wonderful aspect of oregano essential oils is that is it also anti-salmonella.
Many industry experts have realised that certain essential oils have antimicrobial effects and have tried to apply this knowledge to salmonellosis control in poultry farms. Amongst the various essential oils available as feed additives, natural phytobiotics such as oregano essential oils stand out, as they have been found to assist in controlling and preventing salmonellosis in poultry farms. This was recently proven in an experiment by Penalver et al. (2005), who studied the antimicrobial activity of five different essential oils against origin strains of the Enterobacteriaceae family described as follows.
An in vitro assay measuring the antimicrobial activity of essential oils of Coridothymus capitatus (Spanish origanum), Satureja montana, Thymus mastichina (Spanish Origanum majorana), Thymus zygis (Spanish variety of Thymus vulgaris) and Origanum vulgare (Orego-Stim®) was carried out against poultry origin strains of Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella essen, and pig origin strains of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), Salmonella choleraesuis and Salmonella typhimurium.
The essential oil that showed the highest antimicrobial activity against the four strains of salmonella was Origanum vulgare such as that found in Orego-Stim®.
The results of this work confirm the antimicrobial activity of Origanum vulgare as well as its potential application in the treatment and prevention of poultry and pig diseases caused by salmonella.
References:
Ibrahim, M. A., P. Kainulainen, A. Aflatuni, K. Tiilikkala, and J. K. Holopainen, 2001. Insecticidal, repellent, antimicrobial activity and phytotoxicity of essential oils with special reference to limonene and its suitability for control of insect pests. Agric. Food Sci. Fin 2001. 10:243–259.
Karpouhtsis I., E. Pardali, E. Feggou, S. Kokkini, Z. G. Scouras and P. Mavragani-Tsipidou, 1998. Insecticidal and Genotoxic Activities of Oregano Essential Oils, J. Agric. Food Chem., 46 (3): pp 1111–1115.
Penalver P, Huerta B, Borge C, Astorga R, Romero R, Perea A. Antimicrobial activity of five essential oils against animal origin strains of the Enterobacteriaceae family. APMIS 2005113:1–6.
Recommend
Reply
23 de marzo de 2008
But I think flies are actively restless for birds to feed on them especially musca domestica, hence the process of infection is still not very convincing.
Recommend
Reply
20 de marzo de 2008
Very interesting and educative. We should definitely take measures to contain flies.
Recommend
Reply
Would you like to discuss another topic? Create a new post to engage with experts in the community.
Featured users in Poultry Industry
Shivaram Rao
Pilgrim´s
PhD Director Principal de Nutrición y Servicios Técnicos de Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation
United States
United States
