Salmonella grows massively and aerobically in chicken faecal matter.

The use of wastewater for irrigation and animal manure as fertilizer can cause transmission of intestinal pathogens, conditions frequently observed in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Here, we tested the ability of Salmonella to grow in the faecal matter. We inoculated freshly isolated Salmonella strains (from chickens) in chicken faecal matter and incubated for 1 to 12 days, under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. We found that both Salmonella and Escherichia coli multiplied massively in faecal matter outside a host and significantly higher in aerobic conditions. Our results have critical implications in waste management, as we demonstrate that aerobic treatments may not be the best to reduce the number of Salmonella in the environment.