Isolation of Salmonella from poultry tissue and environmental samples: a nationwide survey

A nationwide survey of veterinary laboratories culturing poultry tissue and environmental samples for Salmonella found a large variation in isolation procedures. There were 17 different selective enrichment media or combinations of enrichment media being used for poultry tissue samples. Variations were found in how long the selective enrichments were incubated and in the temperature of incubation. There were 14 different plating media being used. Many laboratories screen and identify only one colony from the plating media. For the protection of poultry breeding and hatchery organizations and with the formation of official poultry monitoring programs, with their legal and public health implications, it becomes increasingly important that diagnostic laboratories adopt minimal standardized protocols for isolating Salmonella.