TITLE:
The Potential Risk Associated with Foodborne Pathogens in Watersheds: Salmonellap spp. in Dairy Cattle
AUTHORS:
Rebecca Bordonaro, Patrick L. McDonough, Yung-Fu Chang, Hussni O. Mohammed
KEYWORDS:
Salmonellap, Risk, Dairy Cows, Watershed, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.7 No.6,
April
10,
2015
ABSTRACT: Salmonella spp. is one of the most important
food- and waterborne pathogens implicated in human and animal disease. A repeat
cross-sectional study was performed to assess the occurrence of Salmonella in dairy herds in a watershed
and determine the factors that play a role in the likelihood of perpetuation of
this organism among animals on these farms. A convenience sample of herds in
the Delaware County watershed was selected based on farmers’ willingness to
participate. Fecal samples were collected per rectum from a representative
sample of cattle in these herds and tested for the presence of Salmonella using a combination of
culturing and molecular detection methods. The significance of association
between the putative risk factors and the likelihood of Salmonella spp. was evaluated using the logistic regression
analysis. A total of 34 dairy farms were enrolled in the study and 1987 samples
were collected coinciding with seasonal variation. Salmonella spp. was detected in 44% (15/34) of the herds in the
study population (i.e., from at least
one animal in these herds). However, only a small fraction of the entire
sampling population (1.7%) was found to be shedding Salmonella. Risk factors that were found to be associated with the
presence of the pathogen on the farm in the final multivariable model included concrete
flooring for calves, prevention of calf access to the dam, and the lack of a
designated calving pen. Two serovars, Salmonella
enterica serovar Infantis and Salmonella
enterica serovar Oranienburg, were identified among the isolates recovered
in this study. Our study demonstrated that there was a potential risk of
watershed degradation from Salmonella associated
with cattle.