Prevalence and diversity of Salmonella isolated from layer farms in central Ecuador.

Background: Given the considerable role played by Salmonella in the incidence of food contamination, around the world, surveillance of this infection is prioritized by both food producers and health care authorities. Data remains insufficient concerning the prevalence of Salmonella in poultry systems in Ecuador and in Latin America in general. Methods: In this study, we evaluated the presence and diversity of Salmonella serovars in samples taken from 21 layer farms and backyard layers in central Ecuador during August-November 2017.   Salmonella was isolated following standardized methods (ISO 6579) and the serovar determination was carried out by PCR. Results: A significant presence of Salmonella was detected in the 21 farms evaluated, with a frequency of 76% (95% confidence interval (CI): 53-92) in environmental surfaces, 33% (95%CI: 15-57) in pooled cloacal swabs from layer hens, 33% (95% CI: 13-59) on feed samples, and 10% (95%CI: 1-30) in backyard layer feces from traditional local markets. The dominant serovars detected were S. Infantis and S. Typhimurium. Conclusions: This study forms a basis for further surveillance of Salmonella serovars in layer farms in central Ecuador.