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. 2023 Jul 13:151:e130.
doi: 10.1017/S0950268823001115.

Assessing pig farm biosecurity measures for the control of Salmonella on European farms

Richard P Smith  1 , Hannah E May  1 , Elke Burow  2   3 , Marina Meester  4 , Tijs J Tobias  4 , Elena-Lucia Sassu  5 , Enrico Pavoni  6 , Ilaria Di Bartolo  7 , Christopher Prigge  5   8 , Dariusz Wasyl  9 , Jacek Zmudzki  9 , Arvo Viltrop  10   11 , Imbi Nurmoja  11 , Veit Zoche-Golob  3 , Giovanni L Alborali  6 , Romina Romantini  12 , Arkadiusz Dors  9   13 , Gergana Krumova-Valcheva  14 , Ivana Koláčková  15   16 , Guiseppe Aprea  12 , Hristo Daskalov  14
Affiliations

Assessing pig farm biosecurity measures for the control of Salmonella on European farms

Richard P Smith et al. Epidemiol Infect. .

Abstract

Salmonella spp. is a common zoonotic pathogen, causing gastrointestinal infections in people. Pigs and pig meat are a major source of infection. Although farm biosecurity is believed to be important for controlling Salmonella transmission, robust evidence is lacking on which measures are most effective. This study enrolled 250 pig farms across nine European countries. From each farm, 20 pooled faecal samples (or similar information) were collected and analysed for Salmonella presence. Based on the proportion of positive results, farms were categorised as at higher or lower Salmonella risk, and associations with variables from a comprehensive questionnaire investigated. Multivariable analysis indicated that farms were less likely to be in the higher-risk category if they had '<400 sows'; used rodent baits close to pig enclosures; isolated stay-behind (sick) pigs; did not answer that the hygiene lock/ anteroom was easy to clean; did not have a full perimeter fence; did apply downtime of at least 3 days between farrowing batches; and had fully slatted flooring in all fattener buildings. A principal components analysis assessed the sources of variation between farms, and correlation between variables. The study results suggest simple control measures that could be prioritised on European pig farms to control Salmonella.

Keywords: Salmonella; biosecurity; effectiveness; pig; risk factor.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicting interests.

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