Salmonella control measures with special focus on vaccination and logistic slaughter procedures.

This study focussed on the effectiveness of Salmonella control measures to decrease Salmonella prevalence at slaughter. Considered measures were the control of hygiene and husbandry management as well as vaccination and logistic slaughter procedures. Results emphasized the capabilities of the farrowing stage to influence slaughter pig prevalence. Limited Salmonella entry by the implementation of hygiene control measures at farrowing farms obtained a significant decrease in prevalence after lairage at slaughterhouse. In contrast, hygiene control measures at finishing stage were less effective. Husbandry control measures, preventing physical contacts between pigs, were proved to decrease slaughter pig prevalence whether they were implemented at farrowing or finishing stage. Furthermore, the vaccination of sows and piglets was an appropriate control measure to decrease slaughter pig prevalence, if a large part of farms established this control measure. Simultaneous implementation of control measures showed that vaccination and especially hygiene measures are mutually supportive. Concerning logistic slaughter procedures it became obvious that with decreasing prevalence, infections at transport and lairage become more and more important. The herd status separation significantly decreased the percentage of infected pigs that became infected at lairage.