ISOLATION OF SALMONELLA FROM OVARIES AND OVIDUCTS FROM WHOLE CARCASSES OF SPENT HENS

Spent hens containing hard-shelled eggs were obtained to study the inf luence of sample collection and sample preparation methodology on the detection of Salmonella in ovaries. Four hundred eighteen birds from 1 9 flocks were collected, and the carcasses were opened aseptically wit hin 8-12 hours of collection. A sample set containing hard-shelled egg , ovary, and oviduct section were collected from each carcass, and sur face contaminants were removed from ovaries with polyoxyethylene ether . Three of 19 flocks (15.8%) and six of 407 ovary samples were positiv e for Salmonella; two oviduct samples were positive (0.5%). No eggs we re Salmonella-positive. Single and multiple serotypes were detected in ovaries. Results indicated that Salmonella recovery rates can be sign ificantly affected by speed in processing samples after collection, by cleanliness of the tissue-collection environment (laboratory vs. slau ghter plant), and by removal of surface contaminants.