Salmonella Enteritidis reduction in layer ceca with a Bacillus probiotic

Area of Science:

• Poultry Science
• Food Safety
• Microbiology

Background:

• Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) is a major foodborne pathogen frequently associated with poultry.
• Controlling SE in poultry is crucial for public health and the food industry.
• Non-antimicrobial feed additives are explored as alternatives to antibiotics for pathogen control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of three non-antimicrobial feed additives in reducing SE.
• To assess the impact of yeast cell wall (YCW), Bacillus spp. probiotic, and yeast culture (YC) on SE levels in laying pullet ceca.

Main Methods:

• 9-week-old Hy-Line Brown pullets were divided into four dietary groups: control, YCW, probiotic, and YC.
• Birds were orally inoculated with nalidixic acid-resistant SE.
• Cecal contents were analyzed 7 days post-inoculation to quantify SE load.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in SE prevalence was observed across treatments.
• Both the probiotic and YC treatments significantly reduced the mean quantity of SE in the ceca compared to the control group (p=0.021).
• Mean SE loads were 2.52 log10 MPN/g (control), 2.49 log10 MPN/g (YCW), 1.73 log10 MPN/g (probiotic), and 1.66 log10 MPN/g (YC).

Conclusions:

• Dietary supplementation with a Bacillus spp. probiotic and yeast culture effectively reduces SE load in the ceca of laying pullets.
• These findings highlight the potential of probiotics and yeast culture as valuable tools for managing SE in poultry production.