Abstract:

Objective: To explore main contamination pathways of raw chicken by Salmonella enteritidis in slaughterhouses. Methods: The contamination of Salmonella enteritidis in raw chicken samples from different slaughterhouses was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The relationship between the contamination of raw chicken and the infection of broilers was investigated. Results: A total of 288 samples from 5 slaughterhouses were detected, and the results showed that 9.03% of them were contaminated by Salmonella enteritidis. No significant difference was observed among raw chicken samples from different slaughterhouses; however, the number of contaminated samples was positively correlated with the infection of Salmonella enteritidis during the nursery of broilers (the relative risk was 18.5). The experimental infected broilers harbored Salmonella enteritidis for 42 days and the length of bacteria excretion was approximately 56 days. Conclusion: Endogenous contamination is the predominant contamination pathway by Salmonella enteritidis in raw chicken from slaughterhouses.

Key words: Salmonella enteritidis, raw chicken from slaughterhouse, contamination pathway, endogenous contamination