Prospects for Salmonella Control in Cattle

Abstract

Salmonella infections appear to be increasing in animals and humans at a time in history when many other infectious diseases are being satisfactorily controlled (I). There have been large and well publicized outbreaks of human salmonellosis (2-5), and an increase in the number of isolations reported from both animals (6) and humans (7). While there are over 2200 serotypes of Salmonella recognized, the good news is that 5 or 6 serotypes consistently cause most of the problem in cattle. These serotypes are S. typhimurium, ,S. dublin, S. newport, S. montevideo, and S. anatum. A recent survey employing serologic methods found that over 70% of dairies in California had evidence of Salmonella infection (8). In order to examine the prospects for control of Salmonella in cattle, one must try to understand why this high prevalence rate of Salmonella infection exists