New salmonella rules will be a tough challenge

As the new EU salmonella controls begin to bite, a specialist warned producers about the toughness and sheer adaptability of the bacterium.

Addressing a gathering of major egg producers in Shropshire, Klaus Torborg, director of vaccine sales for Lohmann Animal Health, praised the UK industry’s record of control but warned producers to remain on their guard.

“Salmonella bugs are very tough,” he said.

As an example, he cited American research which showed that, when sent up into space, salmonella bacteria actually become more dangerous. They could sense changes in their environment and altered their genetic machinery so that they could survive.

Back on the farm the emphasis on control was switching from the bird to the environment.

He suggested that, despite the UK having the lowest level of salmonella persistence among the major egg-producing countries, producers would have to pay even more attention to rodent control, cleaning, disinfection and general bio-security as well as maintaining an efficient vaccination programme.

Effective rodent control will be even more crucial this winter because of an explosion in the rat population due to a sucession of mild winters.