Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Salmonella Oranienburg found in horses, wild turkeys, and garden
By Jay-Russell, M T et al.·Published in Zoonoses and public health·2014·School of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Salmonella Oranienburg isolated from horses, wild turkeys and an edible home garden fertilized with raw horse manure.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A horse from a rural farm in Northern California was diagnosed with a Salmonella infection after showing signs of colic, which is a type of abdominal pain. Investigations revealed that Salmonella was present in several areas around the farm, including the horse's manure and even in the soil of the family's vegetable garden. The study found that using raw horse manure as fertilizer likely contaminated the garden soil with Salmonella, which could pose a risk to food safety. This highlights the importance of being cautious when using animal manure in home gardens, as harmful bacteria can linger in the soil for a long time.
People also search for: horse colic symptoms · Salmonella in garden soil · using horse manure for fertilizer safety
Abstract
In July 2010, a horse from a rural farm (Farm A) in coastal Northern California was diagnosed with Salmonella Oranienburg infection following referral to a veterinary hospital for colic surgery. Environmental sampling to identify potential sources and persistence of Salmonella on the farm was conducted from August 2010 to March 2011. Salmonella was cultured using standard enrichment and selective plating. Pure colonies were confirmed by biochemical analysis, serotyped and compared by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis. A total of 204 clinical and environmental samples at Farm A were analysed, and Salmonella spp. was isolated from six of eight (75%) horses, an asymptomatic pet dog, two of seven (28.6%) water samples from horse troughs, nine of 20 (45%) manure storage pile composites, 16 of 71 (22.5%) wild turkey faeces and four of 39 (10.3%) soil samples from the family's edible home garden. Well water and garden vegetable samples and horse faecal samples from a neighbouring ranch were negative. S. Oranienburg with a PFGE pattern indistinguishable from the horse clinical strain was found in all positive sample types on Farm A. The investigation illustrates the potential for widespread dissemination of Salmonella in a farm environment following equine infections. We speculate that a recent surge in the wild turkey population on the property could have introduced S. Oranienburg into the herd, although we cannot rule out the possibility wild turkeys were exposed on the farm or to other potential sources of Salmonella. Findings from the investigation indicated that raw horse manure applied as fertilizer was the most likely source of garden soil contamination. Viable S. Oranienburg persisted in garden soil for an estimated 210 days, which exceeds the 120-day standard between application and harvest currently required by the National Organic Program. The study underscores the need to educate the public about potential food safety hazards associated with using raw animal manure to fertilize edible home gardens.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23425126/