Approaches to Meat Safety

Salmonella enterica Prevalence and Serotype Distribution in Lymph Nodes From Market Swine

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the potential for lymph nodes to contribute Salmonella in ground pork and the magnitude of Salmonella load attributable to lymph nodes. Four lymph nodes were selected for this exploration: Mandibular, Superficial Inguinal, Superficial Popliteal and Medial Iliac based on literature review. A total of 1,552 lymph nodes were collected from market-age swine at a Midwest processing facility at four times over the course of a year. Overall, Mandibular nodes showed a notably higher prevalence than the other nodes; 9.8% compared to 3.8% for Superficial popliteal, 3.4% for Superficial inguinal, and 1.8% for Medial Iliac. The Salmonella load was below 0.66 log 10 MPN/g for 75% of positive nodes; the highest Salmonella loads were observed in the Superficial Inguinal (3.9 and 3.7 log10 MPN/g). Derby, Enteritidis, and Typhimurium were the most common serotypes identified. Derby was identified in all study phases, Enteritidis was identified only in the first phase and was found in each node type, and Typhimurium was identified in three phases but only in the Mandibular lymph nodes. This study demonstrates that Salmonella prevalence, enumeration and serotypes vary for each lymph node sampled and across seasons.

How to Cite:

Larsen, S., Bokenkroger, C., Delago, J. & Radtke, D., (2023) “Salmonella enterica Prevalence and Serotype Distribution in Lymph Nodes From Market Swine”, SafePork 14(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/safepork.16359