Assessment of microbial quality in poultry drinking water on farms in Austria

The quality of poultry drinking water has a significant effect on broiler health and performance. This study conducted an analysis of aerobic mesophilic counts (AMC), Enterobacteriaceae (EB), Pseudomonadaceae (PS), and screened for the presence of Campylobacter spp. in water samples collected from a total of 14 farms in Austria, with either a public or private water source. The efficacy of two water line treatment methods was evaluated: a chemical treatment of the water lines with 4.0 ppm ClO2 (T1) and a combined chemical (4.0 ppm active ClO2 and 3.0% peracetic acid) and mechanical treatment (purging of the water lines with a high-pressure air pump; T2). However, both the T1 and T2 treatments failed to reduce the AMC counts below the maximum acceptable microbial limit of 4.0 log10 CFU/ml in water samples. In addition, no significant reduction in EB and PS counts was observed in water samples after either T1 or T2 water line treatment. The water samples showed a high level of microbial diversity with 18 to 26 different genera. The genus Pseudomonas was most frequently isolated across all poultry farms, while Campylobacter jejuni was identified in a single sample collected before water line treatment. Isolate analysis revealed the presence of opportunistic pathogens in water samples both before (T1 43.1%, T2 30.9%) and after (T1 36.3%, T2 33.3%) water line treatment. Opportunistic pathogens belonging to genera including Pseudomonas spp., Stenotrophomonas spp., and Ochrobactrum spp., were most frequently isolated from poultry drinking water. These isolates exhibited multidrug resistance and resistance phenotypes to antimicrobials commonly used in Austrian poultry farms. The findings of this study emphasize the potential risk of exposure to opportunistic pathogens for poultry and personnel, underscoring the importance of efficient water line management

Determination of the microbiological load of poultry drinking water before and after sanitation by culture based and sequence-based methods

Diploma thesis - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna - 2022Ensuring high-quality poultry drinking water is of great importance for a well-functioning herd performance. Therefore, disinfectants such as sodium hypochlorite, chlorine gas, and calcium hypochlorite are widely used in poultry farms to disinfect drinking water. As part of the Feed and Food Quality Safety and Innovation (FFoQSI) Camp Control project, a total of 114 poultry drinking water samples from five slaughterhouses with 15 assigned poultry farms were microbiologically tested. The cleaning and disinfection of the drinking line includes a basic cleaning with peracetic acid, followed by disinfection with chlorine dioxide. The cleaning was supported mechanically with a pump. The aim of this study was to compare the microbiological contamination of poultry drinking water before and after disinfection using culture-based methods and subsequent 16-S sequencing of the isolate set. The total mesophilic bacterial count, Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonadaceae count were determined quantitatively. From 114 water samples from 15 broiler farms, a total of 69 (n=69/114; 60.5%) and 45 (n=45/114; 39.5%) were taken before and after disinfection. In general, bacterial reduction was evident in the majority of samples after disinfection, but not in all aspects. The size of the mesophilic total bacterial count decreased from 20 out of 69 samples before disinfection to 4 out of 45 samples after disinfection, the number of Enterobacteriaceae from 9 out of 69 before disinfection (VD) to 3 out of 45 after disinfection (ND) and Pseudomonadaceae from 29 to 69 (VD) to 13 out of 45 (ND). The most frequently isolated bacterial families were Pseudomonadaceae (n=123/395; 31%), Enterobacteriaceae (n=59/395; 15%) and Comamonadaceae (n=54/395; 14%). It was evident that Pseudomonadaceae were present in the majority of isolates before (n=88) and after disinfection (n=35) followed by Stenotrophomonas (n=16 VD, n=8 ND), Bacillus (n=19 VD and n= 12 ND), Comamonas (n=15 VD and n=5 ND), Citrobacter (n=13 VD and n=7 ND) and Acinetobacter (n=8 each VD and ND). The most relevant bacterial species isolated before and after disinfection were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which belong to risk group 2, and Comamonas testosteroni, Variovorax boronicumulans, Bacillus subtilis group and Bacillus bataviensis, all of which belong to risk group 1. In summary, water disinfection did indeed reduce the bacterial load, but not in all broiler farms, and there was no significant logarithmic increase in bacterial counts in all individual farms performed after drinking line disinfection.Diplomarbeit - Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien - 2022Die Sicherstellung von qualitativ hochwertigem Geflügel-Trinkwasser ist für eine gut funktionierende Herdenleistung von großer Bedeutung. Daher werden Desinfektionsmittel wie Natriumhypochlorit, Chlorgas und Calciumhypochlorit häufig in Geflügelfarmen verwendet, um Trinkwasser zu desinfizieren. Im Rahmen des Projekts Feed and Food Quality Safety and Innovation (FFoQSI) Camp Control wurden insgesamt 114 Geflügel-Trinkwasserproben aus fünf Schlachthöfen mit 15 zugeordneten Geflügelbetrieben mikrobiologisch untersucht. Die Reinigung und Desinfektion der Tränkeleitung umfasste eine Grundreinigung mit Peressigsäure, anschließende Desinfektion mit Chlordioxid. Die Reinigung wurde mechanisch mit einer Pumpe unterstützt, Ziel dieser Studie war es, die mikrobiologische Kontamination von Geflügeltrinkwasser vor und nach der Desinfektion mit kulturbasierten Methoden und anschließender 16-S Sequenzierung des Isolatsets zu vergleichen. Die mesophile Gesamtkeimzahl, Enterobacteriaceae und Pseudomonadaceae Zahl wurden quantitativ eruiert. Von 114 Wasserproben aus 15 Mastbetrieben wurden insgesamt 69 (n=69/114; 60,5 %) und 45 (n=45/114; 39,5 %) vor und nach der Desinfektion entnommen. Im Allgemeinen war bei der Mehrheit der Proben nach der Desinfektion eine Bakterienreduktion offensichtlich, jedoch nicht in allen Aspekten. Die Größe der mesophilen Gesamtkeimzahl sank von 29,0 % (n=20/69) vor der Desinfektion auf 8,9 % (n=4/45) nach der Desinfektion, die Zahl der Enterobacteriaceae von 13,0 % (n=9/69 vor Desinfektion-VD) auf 6,7 % (n=3/45 nach Desinfektion ND) und Pseudomonadaceae von 42,0 % (n=29/69 VD) auf 28,9 % (n=13/45 ND). Die am häufigsten isolierten Bakterienfamilien waren Pseudomonadaceae (n=123/395; 31 %), Enterobacteriaceae (n=59/395; 15 %) und Comamonadaceae (n=54/395; 14 %). Es war offensichtlich, dass Pseudomonadaceae in der Mehrzahl der Isolate vor (n=88) und nach der Desinfektion (n=35) resultierte, gefolgt von Stenotrophomonas (n=16 VD, n=8 ND), Bacillus (n =19 VD und n=12 ND), Comamonas (n=15 VD und n=5 ND), Citrobacter (n=13 VD und n=7 ND) und Acinetobacter (n=8 jeweils VD und ND). Die relevantesten Bakterienarten, die vor und nach der Desinfektion isoliert wurden, waren Pseudomonas aeruginosa, die zur Risikogruppe 2 gehören, und Comamonas testosteroni, Variovorax boronicumulans, Bacillus subtilis-Gruppe und Bacillus bataviensis, die alle der Risikogruppe 1 zugeordnet sind. Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass die Wasserdesinfektion tatsächlich die Bakterienbelastung reduziert hat, aber nicht in allen Mastbetrieben, und es war keine deutliche logarithmische Verringerung der Bakterienzahlen in allen Einzelbetrieben erkennbar, die nach der Desinfektion der Tränkelinien beobachtet wurden

Assessment of microbial quality in poultry drinking water on farms in Austria

The quality of poultry drinking water has a significant effect on broiler health and performance. This study conducted an analysis of aerobic mesophilic counts (AMC), Enterobacteriaceae (EB), Pseudomonadaceae (PS), and screened for the presence of Campylobacter spp. in water samples collected from a total of 14 farms in Austria, with either a public or private water source. The efficacy of two water line treatment methods was evaluated: a chemical treatment of the water lines with 4.0 ppm ClO2 (T1) and a combined chemical (4.0 ppm active ClO2 and 3.0% peracetic acid) and mechanical treatment (purging of the water lines with a high-pressure air pump; T2). However, both the T1 and T2 treatments failed to reduce the AMC counts below the maximum acceptable microbial limit of 4.0 log10 CFU/ml in water samples. In addition, no significant reduction in EB and PS counts was observed in water samples after either T1 or T2 water line treatment. The water samples showed a high level of microbial diversity with 18 to 26 different genera. The genus Pseudomonas was most frequently isolated across all poultry farms, while Campylobacter jejuni was identified in a single sample collected before water line treatment. Isolate analysis revealed the presence of opportunistic pathogens in water samples both before (T1 43.1%, T2 30.9%) and after (T1 36.3%, T2 33.3%) water line treatment. Opportunistic pathogens belonging to genera including Pseudomonas spp., Stenotrophomonas spp., and Ochrobactrum spp., were most frequently isolated from poultry drinking water. These isolates exhibited multidrug resistance and resistance phenotypes to antimicrobials commonly used in Austrian poultry farms. The findings of this study emphasize the potential risk of exposure to opportunistic pathogens for poultry and personnel, underscoring the importance of efficient water line management