COMPARISON OF DRAG-SWAB ENVIRONMENTAL PROTOCOLS FOR THE ISOLATION OF SALMONELLA IN POULTRY HOUSES

Three surveys were conducted during November 1995 and March and May 19 96 to compare the use of double-strength skim milk (wet) or no transpo rt media (dry) drag swabs for the detection of salmonellae in 10 broil er houses. Salmonellae were isolated from 57 of 120 individual wet dra g-swab samples, compared with 21 of 120 dry drag-swab samples. Further more, Salmonella was detected at a higher frequency with wet drag swab s (66.7%) than with dry drag swabs (40%) when compared on an individua l growout house basis. A total of seven different serotypes were isola ted from the 10 broiler houses. Although double-strength skim milk dra g swabs are more labor intensive than dry drag swabs, double-strength skim milk drag swabs are more efficient for detecting Salmonella than are dry drag swabs with no transport media.