Review of the Food-borne Zoonoses Research ... - ARCHIVE: Defra

Project code: OZ0328
Project title: A monitoring, control and education package to assist
the turkey industry with reduction of Salmonella and
antimicrobial resistance and achieving EU targets
Start date (dd/mm/yy): 01/04/07
End date (dd/mm/yy): 31/03/10
£1,138,946.00
Total cost:
Affiliation: Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA)
Sub-contractor(s): 1. Agricultural Development Advisory Service (ADAS)
2. University of Bristol
Abstract of research
The work proposed in this large multidisciplinary project aims to rapidly gather
information from turkey breeding and production. Initially by means of the EU baseline
Salmonella survey which has already been largely completed as a separate contract.
Fortunately the samples taken for that survey can, by agreement with the flock owner, be
used for isolation of antimicrobial (fluoroquinolone and third generation cephalosporin)
resistant E.coli and non-selected isolates. This, together with the further characterisation
of the isolates in terms of bacterial identity MIC and resistance mechanisms, and a risk
factor analysis for occurrence of resistance, will be the first objective (01) of the project.
This will be followed by a detailed status report on the British turkey industry together
with a publication on Salmonella trends (02).
Control of Salmonella depends on effective identification of its occurrence and Objective
03 provides a package of work designed to optimise and quantify the sensitivity of
detection as well as achieving practical economies. It is necessary to carry out detailed
investigations (04) of the occurrence of Salmonella in the complex network of turkey
breeding and production to define where the problems are occurring and to identify 'bad'
practice which can be corrected and 'best practice' which can be extended more widely.
These investigations will also intercalate studies on the dynamics of resistant E.coli with
and without fluoroquinolone treatment and will lead to the development of improved
objective auditing procedures for control of Salmonella (05). In Objective 06 successful
management methods which have been shown to control Salmonella will be applied to
problem farms as trial interventions for both Salmonella and resistant E.coli, and for more
difficult cases competitive exclusion and organic acid treatment will also be used (07).
The costs and benefits of these control options will be assessed as part of an economic
analysis (08) and finally the lessons learned from the totality of the research, and other
relevant current sources, will be consolidated in an industry education package (09)
which will include a roadshow campaign and a training DVD and e-mail information
network. The project involves major players in Salmonella field research and
consultancy and major turkey breeding and production integrations and their veterinary
consultants to form a powerful project task-force. The package of objectives therefore
fully supports industry and Defra priorities and public health interests and will provide the
turkey industry with effective methods to meet and exceed future EU requirements.
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