DETECTION OF SALMONELLA-ENTERITIDIS IN FECES FROM POULTRY USING BOOSTER POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION AND OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PRIMERS SPECIFIC FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE GENUS SALMONELLA

Salmonella enteritidis was identified in feces from hens using the pol ymerase chain reaction (PCR) and oligonucleotide primers specific for all members of the genus Salmonella. Feces from specific-pathogen-free Leghorn hens were determined to be negative for Salmonella by microbi ological culture and by the PCR. Fecal samples were inoculated with kn own numbers of colony-forming units of S. enteritidis. The DNA was ext racted from fecal samples and amplified by the PCR using genus-specifi c primers. Salmonella were detected in all samples known to be positiv e; the sensitivity of the assay extended to 1 cfu of S. enteritidis/g feces. Feces that were not inoculated with Salmonella were negative. M icrobiological culture was less sensitive than the PCR assay; results of culture of feces with less than 10(2) cfu/g were negative. Although S. enteritidis was used in this study, the oligonucleotide primers us ed in this study have been previously demonstrated to be genus-specifi c for Salmonella.