South American broiler production and national control plans for Salmonella in chickens

Abstract

The growth of the broiler industry in South America has been important in recent years. Currently, more than 9,430 million broiler chickens are farmed in South America. Brazil, Argentina and Colombia are the most important producers in this region. The broiler chickens are raised in different types of poultry houses, especially by vertically integrated companies. In general, notification of diseases in poultry produced by Salmonella Gallinarum biovars Gallinarum (SG) and Pullorum (SP) and other salmonellae is mandatory. Different types of paratyphoid salmonellae are present in the environments, where broiler chickens and broiler-breeder flocks are raised. The South American countries have different regulations to control Salmonella, especially in broiler-breeder flocks and, to a lesser extent, broiler chickens, through various National Poultry Improvement Plans. This control is focused on SG, SP, Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Heidelberg. In this article, we describe the broiler production, the main Salmonella serotypes found in chicken farms, and the Salmonella spp. National Poultry Improvement Plans that exist in South American countries