More than 50,000 birds have been destroyed after an outbreak of salmonella enteritidis in five Alberta egg laying barns.
The birds can be traced back to the same hatchery, said David Webb, communications manager with Egg Farmers of Alberta.
The salmonella enteritidis was discovered during routine testing of a three-week-old pullet flock. The bacteria was traced back to the hatchery and then to the additional flocks.
Five pullet flocks and one layer flock have been destroyed. Another pullet flock was destroyed before leaving the hatchery, said Webb.
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The organization reports that none of the infected chickens were old enough to lay eggs and the public was never at risk from infection.
The eggs were discovered as part of the organization’s mandatory Start Clean-Stay Clean Program that was implemented in 1990 for layers and made mandatory in 2007.
The program was made mandatory for pullets in 2011 following a salmonella enteritidis outbreak.
“It was found as part of our routine investigation. No eggs from the farm went to a retailer. None hit the market,” said Webb.
The name of the hatchery hasn’t been released.
Salmonella enteritidis is one of 2,500 species of salmonella. It is typically carried in the intestines of birds and can make chicks sick during their first few weeks of life, said Alberta’s chief provincial veterinarian Gerald Hauer.
He said it can also be passed on through eggs and can make people sick.
“That is why we take it very seriously in the table egg laying industry. We don’t want people to get sick when they don’t completely cook the yolks of their egg.”
As part of the program, Alberta Agriculture officials take samples from breeder flocks and hatcheries throughout the year. Egg Farmers of Alberta are responsible for testing breeder flocks and hatcheries.
Since 1997, there have been 32 positive salmonella enteritidis outbreaks. Nine were related to an outbreak in 2010-11.
Hauer said cleaning and disinfecting barns that contain commercial flocks is made relatively easy by spraying and disinfecting the smooth concrete or puck board.
But cleaning the area in backyard flocks isn’t as simple. Hauer said they are working with the hatchery to contact the owners of the backyard flocks on how to control the bacteria.
“We are going to communicate directly with people who bought chicks from the hatchery,” said Hauer.
Insects and rodents can carry the bacteria into the cracks of old concrete or into the soil, making it difficult to properly clean areas where backyard chickens live.
