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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Detection of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens from Individual Filth Flies
12:54

Detection of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens from Individual Filth Flies

Published on: February 13, 2015

Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) test negative for Salmonella.

Paul D Haemig1, Jorge Hernandez, Jonas Waldenström

  • 1Section for Zoonotic Ecology and Epidemiology, School of Pure and Applied Natural Sciences, University of Kalmar, Kalmar, Sweden. paul.haemig@hik.se

Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.)
|February 13, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) are wrongly blamed for spreading Salmonella. A study of over 500 birds in Sweden found no evidence of Salmonella, questioning their role as reservoirs.

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Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Microbiology
  • Avian Ecology
  • Food Safety

Background:

  • Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) are often eradicated from farms due to suspected Salmonella transmission.
  • This assumption lacks empirical evidence, potentially harming beneficial bird populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of Salmonella in barn swallow populations.
  • To assess the validity of the hypothesis that barn swallows act as reservoirs for Salmonella.

Main Methods:

  • Sampling and microbiological testing of over 500 barn swallows in Sweden.
  • Analysis of Salmonella carriage rates in the studied avian population.

Main Results:

  • No evidence of Salmonella was detected in any of the tested barn swallows.

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Published on: December 8, 2017

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Last Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Detection of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens from Individual Filth Flies
12:54

Detection of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens from Individual Filth Flies

Published on: February 13, 2015

Environmental Screening of Aeromonas hydrophila, Mycobacterium spp., and Pseudocapillaria tomentosa in Zebrafish Systems
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Published on: December 8, 2017

  • The study found no support for the hypothesis that barn swallows amplify or spread Salmonella.

    • Conclusions:

    • Barn swallows are unlikely to be competent reservoirs of Salmonella.
    • Their role in Salmonella transmission, if any, is likely limited to accidental contact.