Salmonella in the Mesenteric Lymph Nodes and Cecal Contents of Slaughtered Sows.

From August 1983 to February 1984, sampling was conducted on 200 slaughtered sows for Salmonella . The sampling was to determine the presence of Salmonella in cull sows at a Minnesota slaughtering establishment. The weight range of the sows varied from 300 to 400 lb. Two samples (mesenteric lymph nodes and cecal contents) were collected from each sow. Conventional methods, using enrichment and plating onto selective media followed by biochemical and serological analyses, were used to isolate and identify Salmonella serotypes. Salmonellae were isolated from the mesenteric lymph nodes and cecal contents of 167/200 (84%) sows. Nine Salmonella serotypes were identified. The four most frequently identified Salmonella serotypes ( S. agona , S. anatum , S. derby , S. java ) accounted for 71% (141/200) of the Salmonella -positive sows. Salmonella were isolated from 131/200 (66%) of the mesenteric lymph nodes examined and 60/200 (30%) of the cecal contents examined.