September 19, 2014
US researchers develop tools to detect salmonella
A research jointly funded by the US government and a poultry industry association has developed "powerful tools" for detecting salmonella.
The US Poultry and Egg Association (USPOULTRY) said detecting salmonella in various stages of the
food production system is complicated by the vast number of salmonella serotypes and the variation of characteristics even within a serotype.
Simple methods, it added, are needed by the poultry industry to track isolates of salmonella through the production system so that more effective interventions can be implemented.
Dr. Michael Rothrock and Dr. Jean Guard recently completed a research project in which they developed reagents and protocols to rapidly detect and identify some of the major serotypes of Salmonella and differentiate different isolates within a serotype, the association said.
"Utilizing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of two different genes, they were able to detect 89-100% of a panel of salmonella isolates from environmental, poultry production and processing settings, USPOULTRYadded.
SNPs are discreet areas in a gene that vary between isolates of similar bacteria and can be used to identify those bacteria, it said.
"This work demonstrates the power of using SNPs to quickly and accurately distinguish between isolates of Salmonella and can serve as a valuable tool for salmonella control in the poultry industry," USPOULTRY said.
The joint research was funded by the US Department of Agriculture the USPOULTRY, an "all-feather" organization representing the complete spectrum of today''s poultry industry, whose mission is to progressively serve member companies through research, education, communication, and technical assistance. Founded in 1947, the association is based in Tucker, Georgia, USA.