Detection of Salmonella enteritidis in feces from poultry using booster polymerase chain reaction and oligonucleotide primers specific for all members of the genus Salmonella.

Salmonella enteritidis was identified in feces from hens using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and oligonucleotide primers specific for all members of the genus Salmonella. Feces from specific-pathogen-free Leghorn hens were determined to be negative for Salmonella by microbiological culture and by the PCR. Fecal samples were inoculated with known numbers of colony-forming units of S. enteritidis. The DNA was extracted from fecal samples and amplified by the PCR using genus-specific primers. Salmonella were detected in all samples known to be positive; the sensitivity of the assay extended to 1 cfu of S. enteritidis/g feces. Feces that were not inoculated with Salmonella were negative. Microbiological culture was less sensitive than the PCR assay; results of culture of feces with less than 10(2) cfu/g were negative. Although S. enteritidis was used in this study, the oligonucleotide primers used in this study have been previously demonstrated to be genus-specific for Salmonella.