Forced hot air reduces Campylobacter in broiler transport

Treating spray-washed broiler transport cage flooring with forced hot-flowing air improved eliminated Campylobacter on broiler transport cage floors.

Using forced hot air to dry spray-washed transport cages at a temperature of nearly 50 C shows promise as a potential sanitation procedure to control Campylobacter cross-contamination during broiler live hauling. | DelmasLehman, iStockPhoto.com
Using forced hot air to dry spray-washed transport cages at a temperature of nearly 50 C shows promise as a potential sanitation procedure to control Campylobacter cross-contamination during broiler live hauling. | DelmasLehman, iStockPhoto.com

Treating spray-washed broiler transport cage flooring with static hot air or forced flowing ambient air improved the efficacy of 15 minutes of drying. A study showed that the forced hot air drying of broiler transport cages reduces Campylobacter.

Transport of live broilers from the grow-out farm to processing facilities causes a degree of stress in the birds and has been associated with increased excretion of human pathogens such as Campylobacter.

Campylobacter-positive feces deposited on transport cage surfaces can facilitate cross contamination of previously negative birds in flocks subsequently transported in the same cages.

Campylobacter organisms are sensitive to dry stress. Allowing feces left on transport cage flooring to dry during extended periods of non-use is an effective method to reduce numbers of viable Campylobacter left by positive flocks. In 24 hours, Campylobacter can even be eliminated. The problem with this approach is that poultry processors do not have the time, space or resources to maintain several times the minimum required number of transport cages. The current design of transport cages commonly used in the United States does not lend itself to removal and replacement of the flooring for separate washing or drying.

Four approaches to drying tested

The objective of this study was to test the use of hot air, flowing or static, as a means of lessening the time needed to dry feces on transport cage flooring, thereby effectively lowering the number of viable Campylobacter that may be present.

Approximately 108 cells/gram of a Campylobacter strain originally isolated from naturally contaminated broiler feces were inoculated into gut contents and then spread evenly onto squares of fiberglass coop flooring (5 x 5 cm). Gut contents were allowed to remain on the flooring material for 60 minutes at room temperature before any washing or forced air treatment.

Half of the squares were subjected to a spray wash with tap water (4 mm internal diameter nozzle, 10 psi and flow rate was 100 mL/s). Each square was held 6-8 cm from the nozzle tip and moved back and forth under the spray for 15 seconds.

Washed and unwashed squares were then exposed to one of the four following air dry treatments:

  • Cool static air: room conditions
  • Cool flowing air: 26 cm below a hair dryer set on cool
  • Warm static air: in a laboratory oven set at 55 C
  • Warm flowing air: 26 cm below a hair dryer set on hot (50 C).

All drying treatments were conducted for 15 minutes before squares were sampled and the remaining viable Campylobacter enumerated. Multiple replications were conducted, n=20 per treatment.

Campylobacter-on-broiler-transport-cage-flooring

Fifteen minutes of forced hot flowing air applied to spray-washed cage flooring resulted in undetectable numbers of Campylobacter.

Drying cages with forced hot air

Treating spray-washed flooring with static hot air or forced flowing ambient air improved the efficacy of 15 minutes drying. Also, 15 minutes of forced hot flowing air applied to spray-washed cage flooring resulted in undetectable numbers of Campylobacter. Therefore, using forced hot air to dry spray-washed transport cages at a temperature of approximately 50 C shows promise as a potential sanitation procedure to control Campylobacter cross-contamination during the live hauling of broilers.

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