Detection of salmonella presence in chicken eggs according to poultry rearing type

Detection of Salmonella Presence in Chicken Eggs According to Poultry Rearing Type Salmonella is an important zoonotic pathogen that can cause gastrointestinal tract infections in humans and animals. In order to reduce the prevalence of salmonellosis, Salmonella control programs are implemented in many countries, including our country, with a farm-to-table food safety approach. Intensive biosecurity, protection and control processes are carried out in these programs. Although a good progress has been made with these protection and control processes carried out around the world, when we look at the last point reached today, some poultry flocks still continue to produce foods of poultry origin to be offered for human consumption away from these practices. In this thesis, it was aimed to determine the Salmonella spp. positivity rate, which is of great importance in terms of public health, in the eggs obtained from the commercial layer chicken flocks produced and offered for consumption according to the breeding types and the eggs obtained from the free range chicken flocks. In this thesis study, Salmonella spp. positivity rate was determined in commercial chicken eggs and free range chicken eggs. While it was determined that Salmonella spp. positivity was 2% in commercial chicken eggs, it was determined as 17% in free range chicken eggs. While both strains isolated from commercial chicken eggs were identified as S. Kentucky, of 17 strains isolated from wandering chicken eggs, five were identified as S. Kentucky, four as S. Infantis, three as S. Enteritidis, three as S. Agona, and two as S. Mbandaka. Antibacterial susceptibility test was applied to all isolated and identified Salmonella strains. According to the results of antibacterial susceptibility test, it was determined that multiple antibacterial resistance profiles were formed in all Salmonella strains isolated from both commercial chicken eggs and free range chicken eggs. It was determined that Salmonella strains isolated in commercial chicken eggs were resistant to all antibacterials used in the thesis study, different from the free-range chicken eggs. The necessity of eliminating the Salmonella problem at its source is of great importance in terms of public health. Especially farm animals and foods of animal origin are the primary sources of transmission of Salmonella enterica serovars to humans. Understanding the global prevalence and epidemiology of Salmonella enterica serovars is key to monitoring and controlling the pathogen. Larger and more detailed studies are needed in terms of usability of the findings obtained in this thesis study as potential epidemiological data. The findings obtained in this thesis study are in the nature of contributing to other researchers who conduct research on the subject. Keywords: Chicken, Commercial, Egg, Free, Salmonella.