A Survey of Salmonella infections in Ducks in Iran

Salmonella are bacilli-shaped, gram-negative and facultatively anaerobicmicroorganisms that can cause food poisoning in humans. In the transmission of thisdisease, the eggs and meat of the birds are very important. Ducks can play an importantrole in the transmission of Salmonella to humans. Breeding of ducks for the purpose ofproducing meat and eggs is hundred years old. The connection between duck andSalmonella has been known for many years and it is referred to as a cause-and-effectsituation because it has been indicated that the consumption of duck eggs is very likelyto be associated with stomach upset. The purpose of this investigation was to obtain moreknowledge about the frequency of Salmonella infection in ducks in Iran. In this study,fecal samples were collected from four provinces of Iran. Each six fecal samples werepooled and ۳۵۲ samples was obtained in total. In order to isolate Salmonella, all sampleswere cultured according to the previously described standard techniques. From a total of۳۵۲ stool samples, ۲۰ Salmonella isolates (۱۷.۶%) were isolated. By comparing theconducted study and other researches in this field, it was shown that, like chicken flocks,Salmonella are circulating in duck flocks of Iran.

Keywords:

Salmonella , Chicken , Duck , Infection , Bacteriology , Facal samples