Investigations of the distribution and persistence of Salmonella and ciprofloxacin-resistant Escherichia coli in turkey hatcheries in the UK.

This study aimed at gaining information on the presence of Salmonella in UK turkey hatcheries and possible epidemiological links between breeding farms, hatcheries and finishing farms. The presence of ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli in hatchery samples, as well as in faecal samples from farms, and trends in occurrence of resistance were also investigated. Over a 2 year-period, four British turkey hatcheries were visited and intensively sampled for the presence of Salmonella and ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli. In two hatcheries, a link could be demonstrated between the presence of certain Salmonella serovars in the hatcheries and on breeding and finishing farms. Within the hatcheries, serovars linked to breeding farms were found more frequently in the poult processing and dispatch areas, whereas serovars identified as 'resident hatchery contaminants' were predominantly found inside the hatcher cabinets. Ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates of S. Senftenberg were identified in one hatchery, which coincided with enrofloxacin treatment of some of the breeding flocks. Ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli was found in two hatcheries, and the majority of these isolates showed multidrug resistance.