USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Georgia in which researchers evaluated methods to improve Salmonella surveillance in turkeys. 

The research was made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Cargill and proceeds from the International Poultry Expo, part of the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE). 

The research is part of the Association’s comprehensive research program encompassing all phases of poultry and egg production and processing. A summary of the completed project is below.

Dr. Nikki Shariat, assistant professor at the University of Georgia, and collaborators have completed a research project aimed to identify all Salmonella serovar populations present in surveillance samples taken throughout a turkey production chain. 

Further, molecular tools were used to resolve significant differences observed in serovar prevalence between ground turkey and mechanically separated turkey at processing. Completion of this work highlighted the complexity of this pathogen in turkey production and processing. 

The study demonstrates flocks are likely contaminated with multiple serovars, and effective surveillance should include samples taken at processing where prevalence and diversity are highest.