Abstract #147

# 147
Prevalence of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in bulk tank milk and filters from US dairies.
Jo Ann S. Van Kessel*1, Jeffrey S. Karns1, Jason E. Lombard2, R. Camilla Kristensen2, Charles P. Fossler2, 1USDA-ARS-NEA Environmental Microbial and Food Safety Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, 2USDA:APHIS:VS:Center for Epidemiology and ANimal Health, Fort Collins, CO.

Zoonotic bacterial pathogens are frequently isolated from the feces of dairy animals and their environments; therefore, bulk tank milk (BTM) and meat from culled dairy animals are at risk for contamination. As part of the National Animal Health Monitoring System’s (NAHMS) Dairy 2014 study, 234 BTM and 396 milk filter (MF) samples were collected from 234 operations in 17 states from March through July 2014. BTM and MF pairs were collected from 231 operations, and only BTM samples were collected from 3 operations. Samples were enriched for Salmonella and Listeria spp. in selective broths. The presence of Salmonella was determined by real time PCR, and positive enrichment broths were struck onto selective agar for isolation. L. monocytogenes was distinguished from other Listeria species via the presence of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase. Analysis of prevalence (%) incorporated operation weights to reflect the population from which samples were collected. Positive operations were those with either a positive MF or a positive BTM sample (or both). PCR analysis indicated that 18.6% of operations were positive for Salmonella. Salmonella isolates were obtained on 96.5% of these PCR-positive operations. Sixteen Salmonella serotypes were identified, with multiple serotypes detected on 9 operations. The most common serotypes were Cerro, Montevideo, Kentucky, and Newport, which were isolated from 33, 8, 5, and 5 operations, respectfully. Listeria spp. were isolated from 20.0% of operations and L. monocytogenes was isolated from 3.0% of operations. Prevalences of Salmonella and L. monocytogenes increased as herd size increased. The 2014 prevalences of Salmonella and L. monocytogenes are significantly lower than the prevalences from the NAHMS 2007 Dairy study (28.1% for Salmonella, 7.1% for L. monocytogenes). A significant presence of Salmonella and L. monocytogenes in BTM or MF samples indicates potential health risks to raw milk consumers.

Key Words: Salmonella, Listeria, bulk tank milk