Salmonella infections in dairy cattle
Salmonella Dublin (S. Dublin), a strain of the bacterium Salmonella enterica, is an emerging disease in Canada and a concern for dairy farmers. Adult cattle tend not to get sick from this cattle-adapted strain, but it causes serious illness and death in calves. Although it’s uncommon, S. Dublin-related illness can also occur in people.
The only reliable way to ensure that S. Dublin infection is eradicated in dairy herds is to take regular blood tests from every animal. WCVM researcher Dr. Chris Luby is working on a more affordable way to test animals. Proposed testing will require dairy producers to collect a fecal sample from each dairy cow on the day she calves — when any infected animal will shed large amounts of salmonella.
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