Salmonella serovars along two beef chains in Ethiopia

Salmonella has been reported from foods and the food production environment, with outbreaks occurring in the human population worldwide.

A survey on Salmonella in two beef production lines (a beef abattoir line and a processing line) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was conducted, with a total of 668 various samples randomly collected from animal-related materials, the environment, and a beef product (mortadella).

Overall, a 12.9% prevalence (26.3% from the abattoir line, 5.3% from the processing plant line) was observed. The prevalence in the abattoir line environment (36.6%) was higher than that in animal-related samples (14.7%); the reverse was true for the processing plant line. Out of 86 isolates, 10 serovars were identified, and 8 remained unidentified. The predominant serotypes were S. Saintpaul (32.5%), S. Muenchen (19.8%), and S. Larochelle (12.8%). S. Kastrup and S. London were isolated for the first time in Ethiopia.

Data indicate open ports of entry for Salmonella, with possible transfer along the line. Further investigations from farm to fork are recommended in order to identify these positions of entry.