Evaluation of the 1-2 test for detecting Salmonella in swine feces

The 1-2 Test is a rapid culture test for the detection of motile Salmonella. The aim of this study was to evaluate the 1-2 Test for its ability to detect Salmonella in swine feces following preenrichment and selective enrichment. Pooled pen fecal samples (n = 118) and pig rectal swabs (n = 51) were cultured for Salmonella by the 1-2 Test, which was compared with the standard isolation protocol currently used in our laboratory. In addition, pen fecal samples known to be free of Salmonella were spiked with various concentrations of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium and cultured by both methods to determine the minimum number of organisms needed to produce a positive result. When naturally contaminated pen feces and rectal swabs were used, results obtained with the standard culture method were similar to those obtained with the 1-2 Test. However, the 1-2 Test did outperform the standard culture method when the spiked feces samples were tested (chi2 = 4.00). The test kit reduced the time and materials required for the detection of Salmonella in swine feces. The results of this study indicate that the 1-2 Test is an accurate method for monitoring Salmonella in swine feces.