Intermittent long-term shedding and induction of carrier birds after infection of chickens early posthatch with a low or high dose of Salmonella enteritidis

Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. filip.vanimmerseel@UGent.be

Poultry are very likely to become infected with Salmonella in the early posthatch period, due to environmental contamination. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of infection dose on the risk of persistent infection in laying hens. In this study, young layer chicks were orally infected with a low (10(2) at 1 d posthatch) or a high dose (10(9) cfu at 1 wk posthatch) of Salmonella Enteritidis. The pattern and duration of fecal shedding was studied for 18 wk. All chickens shed Salmonella early after infection and shed Salmonella intermittently during the whole study period. There were more positive birds in the high-dose group than in the low-dose group in the first weeks following Salmonella exposure. From 10 wk postinfection onwards, however, birds that were orally infected with the low dose of Salmonella Enteritidis shed more Salmonella than the birds that received the high dose. At 18 wk of age, there was no difference in cecal colonization between the treatment groups. It can be concluded that infection of newly hatched chicks with a low dose of Salmonella Enteritidis can lead to persistent infection until onset of lay, hereby excreting Salmonella bacteria intermittently.