SALMONELLA SPP. AT THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE. A SURVEY STUDY IN NORTH OF ITALY. PRELIMINARY RESULTS SALMONELLA SPP. AL MACELLO. INDAGINE NEL NORD ITALIA. RISULTATI PRELIMINARI

From October 2003 to february 2005, 791 carcass swabs and 511 faecal samples were collected in 13 slaughterhouses located in northern Italy. Sampled animals were selected among farms located in four different Italian regions, in order to ensure a precise sample size from each region. Faecal samples were tested for presence of Salmonella spp., while carcass swabs were analysed for both presence and enumerating of Salmonella. The counting tecnique used in this study was the MPN method. 9.6% of tested animals were identified as Salmonella spp. carriers. This prevalence is lower than data reported in recent italian studies. On the other hand, prevalence on carcasses was much higher than as reported in studies conducted in Italy and other european countries. We found that 28.3% of positive carcasses carried levels of Salmonella over 0,10 MPN/g, ranging from 0,10 to 4,76 MPN/g. A correlation between slaughterhouses contamination and prevalence of Salmonella in carcasses was found. However, further studies, as complete characterization of strains, should be necessary to obtain conclusive informations.