Sensitivity and specificity of different methods for the isolation of Salmonella from pigs

Three different selective enrichment media, Rappaport-Vassiliadis broth (RV), selenite broth (SB) and Müller-Kauffmann tetrathionate broth (MKTB), in combination with plating on modified brilliant green agar (BGA), were compared for the isolation of Salmonella from samples of pig feces. These conventional methods were also compared with a new ELISA kit in conjunction with RV and SB enrichment. Of the conventional methods, enrichment in RV had a higher sensitivity and selectivity than SB and MKTB. Recovery of S. typhimurium from MKTB was significantly poorer than recovery of other serotypes. The combination of RV enrichment and ELISA was as good as the conventional method involving RV enrichment, with a similar high sensitivity and specificity.