Use of negative air ionization for reducing airborne levels of Salmonella Enterica serovar enteritidis in a room containing infected caged layers

Removal of Salmonella Enterica serovar enteritidis (S. enteritidis) circula ting in the air can be important in reducing S. enteritidis problems in a f lock. One potential method to aid in this removal is the use of a negative air ionizer. Such a device imparts a negative charge on airborne particles, causing them to be attracted to grounded surfaces, therefore, effectively taking them out of circulation. Two experiments were conducted to determine whether such a device could lower levels of S. enteritidis in a room conta ining infected caged laying hens. In both experiments, the negative air ion izer effectively decreased the room airborne levels of S. enteritidis compa red to levels in a room lacking a device. This improvement was particularly evident in Experiment 2, in which the S. enteritidis reduction brought abo ut by the ionizer averaged 96.5% during the last 6 days of the sampling per iod. Failure to brush dust off the ionizer every other day resulted in redu ced efficiency. These results demonstrate the potential efficacy of negativ e air ionization in removing poultry bacterial pathogens in a layer room si tuation.