Salmonella, a genus of gram-negative enterobacteria, causes a disease called Salmonellosis in humans. It is a zoonotic disease that can be transmitted directly or indirectly between animals and humans. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s ‘Salmonellosis – Annual Epidemiological Report for 2020’, Salmonellosis is the second most frequently reported gastrointestinal infection and a major cause of foodborne outbreaks in the EU. In 2020, 169,61 laboratory-confirmed cases of salmonellosis were reported, 53 of which were fatal.
Salmonella, which lives in the intestines of animals and humans and is excreted in faeces, is most often transmitted to humans through contaminated water or food. It is usually transmitted by consuming raw or undercooked meat, eggs, unwashed fruits and vegetables, and unpasteurized milk. Although it can sometimes be fatal, it usually causes fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting.
The livestock industry has an important role to play in reducing the prevalence of this disease in the population. Since treatment usually requires antibiotics, which is undesirable, it is essential to prevent the emergence and spread of the bacteria. To this end, measures such as vaccination, compliance with hygiene rules, and feeding the animal in a way that supports intestinal health and immunity are generally recommended. Furthermore, another important issue is the safety of the feed given to animals, i.e. hygiene. This is because one of the most important ways Salmonella is transmitted to animals is through contaminated feed..
Last but not least, temperatures above seasonal norms and high humidity significantly increase the prevalence of Salmonella. This is because hot weather and humid environments provide a favorable environment for the growth and spread of Salmonella bacteria. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to food safety, hence feed safety and animal health in hot weather.
Keeping animals safe from Salmonella is very important for their health and ours. This issue has a lot of content to give you ideas on how to protect your animals from Salmonella.
In addition, we believe that we have also created a rich content for the aquaculture sector, which has a significant potential to feed the growing world population, drawing attention to the relationship between fish health and welfare and nutrition.
Enjoy your reading… Hope to see you in the next issue…
