Untersuchungen zum Vorkommen von Salmonellen-Antikörpern bei Mastschweinen im Einzugsgebiet des Schlachthofes Karlsruhe im Hinblick auf die Einführung eines staatlichen Salmonellen-Monitoring

For this study between January and April 2003 meat samples from diaphragm pillars of 1920 finisher pigs out of 57 farms were taken on the slaughter line. After freezing and subsequent thawing the thus obtained meat juice was analysed for antibodies against salmonella by means of ELISA, in order to determine the salmonella status of the fattening pigs, respectively of the fattening farms in the area of the slaughter-house Karlsruhe via antibody detection. In addition, the farm owners were asked about some of the farm’s management factors in a telephone interview by means of questionnaire; the answers were correlated to the ELISA antibody results and were discussed. 125 out of 1920 meat juice samples were tested positive regarding their salmonella antibody result and an overall antibody prevalence of 6.51% was detected in the total of the samples. This result is within a percentage range which is comparable to other studies’ results from Germany, which stated antibody prevalences ranging from 0.74% (HARTUNG, 2001 and 2002) to 1.6% (CZERNY et al., 2002) to values of 7.3% (VON ALTROCK et al., 2000) to 8.9% (LUDEWIG and FEHLHABER, 2001). Investigation results from the Netherlands showed slightly higher, such from Denmark lower values. Based on the results of this study, 48 (84%) farms could be classified in category I ( 40% Salmonella-antibody-positive samples), corresponding to the guidelines of the German Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry outlining a Salmonella surveillance programme. The evaluation of the questionnaire yielded that 47 (82.45%) farms had more than 200 fattening pigs, four (7.02%) had between 101 and 200 and six (10.53%) farms between 46 and 100 finisher pigs. Only five (8.77%) of the farms included in the study slaughtered their animals exclusively at the slaughterhouse Karlsruhe, twelve (21.05%) farms worked with an in/out-management, 45 (78.95%) with continuous stabling. 29 (50.88%) farms bought their piglets, 28 (49.12%) reared their animals on their own, 54 (94.74%) farm owners had knowledge about the concept “Salmonella monitoring”, three (5.26%) had no idea of this topic and twelve (21.05%) of the farms did already take part in a Salmonella monitoring programme at the time of questioning. The total of the 57 farms yielded an average antibody prevalence of 7.97%. Further-more, the average prevalences for groups of farms with the same management factors were determined in order to investigate if individual management factors in-cluded in the questionnaire had an influence on the antibody prevalence of the farms. Smaller farms (46-100 slaughter pigs), farms which bought their piglets and farms which did not take part in a Salmonella monitoring programme showed a tendency towards higher average antibody prevalences. A better evaluation of farms with in/out management could not be confirmed. In general, Salmonella monitoring seems to be sensible. Yet, for the successful implementation of such a programme the establishment of a legal foundation is essential, in order to oblige all farm owners to participate in these control measures and in order to achieve more uniformity in the German quality insurance. Unfortunately, the low grade of organisation in the German pork production chain impedes both the feasibility of such a programme and the successful establishment of certain measures to reduce the entry of salmonella into the food chain.