Comparison of environmental monitoring protocols for the detection of Salmonella in poultry houses.

Environmental monitoring has been used as a screening method to detect Salmonella enteritidis infection in laying hens. Several transport protocols (buffered peptone water, skim milk, asparagine, double distilled water, and no media), to be used for the detection of Salmonella in environmental samples from poultry houses, were compared for their ability to preserve the integrity of specimens. The isolation rates of Salmonella using the various transport protocols, including double-strength skim milk and no media (dry), were similar. Use of dry swabs is more convenient than a media transport system and should be adopted as an alternative method.