ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE June 2025 35 FROM SALMONELLA TO SALMONELLOSIS: Where and how to stop the transmission Stefan Alius Technical Specialist — Poultry Agrifirm “Successfully preventing Salmonella contamination can only occur when proper risk determination has taken place to identify the main sources of contamination or re-contamination – not only in the poultry houses but also in the broader environment. Focusing on the activities or animals that pose a risk is not sufficient to reduce the incidence of Salmonella-positive birds in your operation.” Each year, national, regional and global human health organizations publish the occurrence of the main zoonoses. Salmonellosis, Campylobacteriosis and Colibacillosis are the 3 main foodborne illnesses worldwide, causing millions of people to suffer from intestinal problems, perhaps requiring hospitalization, and even resulting in death. Part of the incidence of these zoonoses is attributed to poultry – mainly eggs or poultry meat (broilers or turkeys). Although, in general, Salmonella or Campylobacter contamination has no negative impact on poultry health, E. Coli contamination frequently affects the general health and performance of poultry. This already gives the poultry producer a first sign that he should be alert to the increased risk to the consumer, and this risk should be further communicated down the production chain. As poultry are rarely negatively affected by the non-host-specific serotypes of Salmonella or Campylobacter, the only way to assess risk is by frequently monitoring the presence of the bacteria in the poultry and further in the production process. Thanks to stringent regulations developed by the national authorities, great strides have been made in this over the last few decades. Yet, despite all of the efforts, these zoonoses persist. SALMONELLA CONTRIBUTES TO THE ENVIRONMENT, SO IT WILL ALWAYS BE PRESENT As we focus on Salmonella and Salmonellosis in this article, we need to emphasize that Salmonella bacteria are present in the overall environment and that the non-host-specific serotypes are pathogenic to humans but not for poultry. Moreover, for plants, they are even beneficial, as they are part of the ecological process in breaking down complex organic material into smaller and simpler molecules. Even in poultry production, some serotypes can have a positive effect on production. This recycling of nutrients improves soil fertility and contributes to plant-soil interaction. This also explains why Salmonella can be found everywhere and not only in livestock. Salmonella itself can survive under harsh and extreme conditions. They can grow in a temperature range of 5° to 46° Celsius, if the culture pH is 5.5 or more with
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