Findings of Salmonella in raw meat-based pet food in the UK have declined for the first time in recent years.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has collected data on Salmonella reports from livestock species in Great Britain in 2023.
There were 331 reports of Salmonella from raw meat pet food. This is down from 406 in 2022. The number of positive outcomes in 2022 has increased compared to 2021, when the highest levels ever were seen. The most common species in 2023 were Salmonella Indiana, Salmonella Derby and Salmonella Infantis.
There were 99 isolations of regulated serovars from raw meat pet food, compared to 123 reports in 2022. The isolates included Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Hadar, Salmonella Infantis, monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Virchow. According to the legislation, regulated serovars are of particular importance for public health.
Contaminated raw meat pet food, which does not undergo heat treatment to inactivate pathogens, can be a potential source of infection for both the animals that consume it and the people who handle it, especially if inadequate hygiene measures are not taken.
In 2023, there were 897 isolations from animal feed, an increase compared to the 801 positive in 2022. In 2023, there were 265 isolations of regulated Salmonella serovars from animal feed and related products, 41.7 percent more than in 2022. This included: to Salmonella Infantis, Salmonella Typhimurium and monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium.
In 2023, 10,070 human Salmonella infections were reported to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Public Health Wales and Public Health Scotland. The most common species was Salmonella Enteritidis, followed by Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Infantis and Salmonella Saintpaul.
Reported trends in animals
The number of reports of Salmonella isolation in cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry has increased by 4.9 percent compared to 2022, from 3,461 to 3,630 isolations.
The trends were variable between serovars. For example, reports of Salmonella Kedougou were almost double those of 2022, Salmonella Agona increased by 50 percent and Salmonella Typhimurium increased by 31.8 percent compared to 2022. However, reports of Salmonella Senftenberg were 60.3 percent less compared to 2022. , and reports of Salmonella Enteritidis were down 56 percent.
There were more isolations of chickens, pigs, cattle and sheep in 2023 than in 2022. However, there were fewer findings in turkeys and ducks. Most isolations of chicken and turkey flocks resulted from surveillance activities resulting from National Control Programs (NCP) for these sectors.
The number of Salmonella isolates in cattle increased from 430 to 436 in 2023. As in previous years, Salmonella Dublin remained the most common, although there was a decrease in 2023. The number of Salmonella Typhimurium isolations increased, the second most common species isolated, followed by Salmonella Mbandaka.
There were 2,633 isolations of Salmonella in chickens in 2023, compared to 2,404 in 2022. The main serovars were Salmonella 13,23:i:-, Salmonella Montevideo, Salmonella Kedougou, Salmonella Mbandaka and Salmonella Agona.
The estimated prevalence of regulated serovars in all three NCPs for chickens was below the EU targets of 1 percent for breeders, 2 percent for layers and 1 percent for broilers, i.e. 0.43 percent for breeders, 0.17 percent for layers and 0.04 percent for broilers.
In 2023, there were 258 isolations in pigs, compared to 214 in 2022. Salmonella Typhimurium and its monophasic variants were responsible for more than three-quarters of all isolations.
The number of isolations in sheep increased from 94 to 98. Salmonella enterica subspecies diarize serovar 61:k:1.5,(7) remained the most common serovar, followed by Salmonella Montevideo and Salmonella Typhimurium.
The number of turkey isolations decreased from 188 to 109 in 2023. The most important species was Salmonella Kedougou, followed by Salmonella Anatum. The NCP sampling prevalence of regulated serovars was 0.05 percent for turkey fatteners and 0.58 percent for breeders. This is below the EU target of 1 percent for each turkey production sector.
In 2023 there were 96 isolations of ducks, compared to 121 in 2022. Four isolations were of game birds, 18 of pigeons, 55 of horses and 689 of dogs.
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