A rapid screening method for Salmonella typhimurium DT 104 in poultry barnenvironmental samples

A rapid screening method was developed to presumptively identify S. typhimu rium DT 104 in naturally contaminated poultry barn environmental samples. T his technique involves a semiselective preenrichment (chloramphenicol in bu ffered peptone water) procedure followed by screening with Salmonella-speci fic chemiluminescence-based detection system (IsoSCREEN(TM) Stratecon Diagn ostics International, USA), then plating on Modified Semi-solid Rappaport-V assilliadis (MSRV) agar plates incorporating antibiotic disks (ampicillin, chloramphenicol and tetracycline). Environmental samples (183 total) from a poultry barn were analyzed for the suspected presence of Salmonella typhim urium DT 104. Of these, 141 samples were identified as containing Salmonell a species, 9 of which were identified as Salmonella typhimurium DT 104 by b oth the standard culture methods and the combined IsoSCREEN(TM)-MSRV antibi otic susceptibility test (IsoSCREEN(TM)-MAST). In comparison with the stand ard culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing techniques, which require 7-9 days to complete, the IsoSCREEN(TM)-MAST required only 3-5 days to pre sumptively identify Salmonella typhimurium DT 104 in the samples.