Salmonella Found in One-Third of EU Breeding Pigs

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Latest Pig Industry News

Monday, December 21, 2009

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Salmonella Found in One-Third of EU Breeding Pigs

EU - The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published the results of an EU-wide survey on Salmonella in breeding pigs.

The survey indicates that Salmonella is commonly detected in holdings with breeding pigs in most EU Member States. The report recommends further studies on surveillance for Salmonella in breeding pigs.

The survey was carried out in 24 Member States, Norway and Switzerland and all but two countries found some type of Salmonella in their holdings with breeding pigs. On average, Salmonella was found in one out of three holdings with breeding pigs across the EU, but the survey also says that figures vary greatly between Member States.

EU legislation foresees reduction targets for Salmonella in foods and animal populations as part of the overall EU strategy to reduce food-borne diseases in humans. EFSA’s survey results will support the setting of these reduction targets for breeding pigs.

The survey says that many types of Salmonella were found across the EU. The type that was most frequently detected was Salmonella Derby, followed by Salmonella Typhimurium. Many of these types, in particular S. Typhimurium, are reported to be causes of Salmonella infections in humans across the EU.