QS Salmonella monitoring in German pork production: basic epidemiological report. [German]Original Title QS Salmonellenmonitoring bei Schlachtschweinen: Epidemiologische Basisauswertung der Jahre 2003 bis 2009.

摘要

Since 2002, the QS Qualitat und Sicherheit GmbH has carried out a Salmonella monitoring in German pig producing farms. The data of the monitoring were now analysed in depth. All data generated within the Salmonella monitoring are entered into the central database QualiproofReg., Version 1.0, Pig Release (Qualitype AG, Dresden). More than 20,000 farms investigate up to 60 blood serum or meat juice samples per year serologically for Salmonella antibodies. Each farm is classified by the percentage of positive samples into one of the categories I (0-20% positive samples), II (>20-40%), or III (>40%). This classification is updated quarterly. The number of participating farms increased continually since the beginning of the monitoring. The percentage of farms below quota decreased from 80% at the beginning of 2004 to less than 12% in the last quarter of 2009. In all quarters, about 82% of farms were in category I, approx. 14% in category II, and 4% in category III. Farms that participated at the QS system for a longer period showed a tendency to enhance the category. The percentage of positive samples was between 9.8% (2009) and 11.9% (2005). The adjusted prevalence (depending on the distribution of fattening pigs in Germany) was only between 6.9% (2007) and 9.4% (2004). The participation rate seemed to be higher in regions with higher Salmonella burden so that the prevalence decreased by adjusting for animal density. The German districts were categorised in four regions by their agricultural structures of animal husbandry: Northwest, Northeast, West, and South. The seroprevalence was lowest in the South and higher in Northwest. The data of the QS Salmonella monitoring were suitable to analyse the Salmonella burden of fattening pigs in Germany epidemiologically.