[Assessment of the Salmonella burden in slaughter pigs through the results of meat-juice-ELISA].

During a study on the salmonella infection rate in slaughter pigs, bacteriological results were collected from faecal samples and intestinal lymphnodes, and serological results were acquired from meat-juice-ELISA. Serological findings and resulting serological parameters were analysed for their capacity to provide an indication of the salmonella burden in a given lot of slaughter pigs or in the farm of origin. The arithmetic mean antibody concentration of a lot of slaughter pigs or a piggery, or the number of animals reacting above 30% according to the Danish standard, or the number of animals reacting above 40% according to the Danish standard are all three equally suited to differentiate between a low and a high level of infection. The mean antibody concentration was found to be the best parameter for epidemiological studies that compare the serological status between herds or investigate the development of antibodies within a given piggery.