Bacteriological Occurrence of Salmonella spp. in Hens Eggs and their Environment in Selected Farms in Gaza Strip

Abstract

Salmonellosis is one of the most common and widely distributed food-borne diseases. It constitutes a major public health burden and represents a significant cost in many countries. Poultry and eggs are considered as major sources for these pathogenic microorganisms. To investigate the occurrence of Salmonella in Gaza Strip, 596 samples (100 egg pools, 88 feed samples, 320 chicken excreta and cloacal swabs and 88 water samples) were collected from 12 poultry farms in Gaza strip. Sampling program was between January 2007 and December 2007. Samples were tested at the Public Health Laboratory of MOH in Gaza strip. Data were collected through direct interview and structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was applied on 12 poultry farms to evaluate the level of cleaning in certain farms, which contain a number of questions that were answered by farmer owners. The study showed that egg pools, feed samples and water samples were negative for Salmonella spp., whereas one Salmonella spp. was isolated from chicken excreta pools from Khan-Younis poultry farms. The questionnaire results supported the findings of the study in terms of quasi-absence of infection with Salmonella. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in Gaza investigating the occurrence of Salmonella spp. in eggs and environment in selected local egg production farms.