Table 1.
Recovery of Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Kentucky from internal organs of orally infected and contact-exposed laying hens in cage-free housing.1
| Salmonella-positive/total (%) | Liver | Spleen | Ovary | Oviduct | Ileum/ceca |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 d postinoculation | |||||
| S. Kentucky (inoculated) | 8/24 (33.3)b,c | 3/24 (12.5)c,d,e | 2/24 (8.3)b | 3/24 (12.5)b | 23/24 (86.1)a |
| S. Kentucky (contact-exposed) | 4/48 (8.3)d | 0/48 (0.0)e | 1/48 (2.1)b | 3/48 (6.3)b | 26/48 (54.2)c,d |
| S. Enteritidis (inoculated) | 24/24 (100.0)a | 23/24 (86.1)a | 12/24 (50.0)a | 10/24 (41.7)a | 24/24 (100.0)a |
| S. Enteritidis (contact-exposed) | 17/48 (35.4)b,c | 7/48 (14.6)c,d | 4/48 (8.3)b | 3/48 (6.3)b | 31/48 (64.6)c,d |
| 12 d postinoculation | |||||
| S. Kentucky (inoculated) | 4/24 (16.7)c,d | 1/24 (4.2)c,d,e | 1/24 (4.2)b | 1/24 (4.2)b | 22/24 (91.7)a,b |
| S. Kentucky (contact-exposed) | 2/48 (4.2)d | 2/48 (4.2)d,e | 1/48 (2.1)b | 1/48 (2.1)b | 22/48 (45.8)d |
| S. Enteritidis (inoculated) | 12/24 (50.0)b | 16/24 (66.7)b | 3/24 (12.5)b | 1/24 (4.2)b | 24/24 (100.0)a |
| S. Enteritidis (contact-exposed) | 20/48 (41.7)b | 11/48 (22.9)c | 5/48 (10.4)b | 3/48 (6.3)b | 34/48 (70.8)b,c |
a,bValues in columns that share no common superscripts are significantly (P < 0.05) different.
1
24 of 72 hens in each cage-free housing room were orally inoculated with approximately 6.5 × 107 cfu of 2-strain mixtures of either S. Enteritidis or S. Kentucky. The remaining hens were exposed to infection by horizontal contact.