1. Kokas Ikwapa, Joseph Erumea, David Okello Owinya, George William Nasinyamaa, Lennart Melinc, Björn Bengtssonc, Nils Lundeheimb, Claes Fellströmb and Magdalena Jacobsonb
a College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
bFaculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7070, SE , Uppsala, Sweden.
CNational Veterinary Institute, , Uppsala, Sweden
Intensive management protects pigs in smallholder households in Uganda against non-typhoidal salmonellosis
Introduction
Non-typhoidal salmonellosis (NTS) is one of the most common food-borne zoonoses and is common among children, elderly and/or immuno-compromised persons. In piglets and growing pigs, NTS infections cause enterocolitis, septicemia and death. One of the ways to control NTS is to prevent Salmonellae infections in pigs and therefore, prevent contamination of pork and pork products. Risk factors for NTS in smallholder households, where most of the pigs are produced in Uganda, were investigated.
Materials and Methods
A study was carried out in 2011 and 2012 in Gulu, and Soroti districts, in Uganda.
Fecal samples collected from piglets and weaners in 93 households for bacteriological analysis.
Information on potential risk factors collected using questionnaires.
Postmortem investigations on some of the diarrheic piglets were performed.
Free ranging piglets from Gulu (upper image) not protected against NTS. Black colonies of Salmonella (lower image)
Results
Diarrhea due to clinical salmonellosis was observed and confirmed.
12% of the piglets and weaners had Salmonella.
39% of the households had at least one Salmonella-positive pig.
Intensive management was protective against Salmonella when compared with tethering and roaming (p= 0.016; OR = 0.112) or semi-intensive management (p= 0.048; OR = 0.115).
Lesions in the large intestine of a piglet from Gulu due to Salmonella Typhimurium infection
Conclusion and Recommendation
There are clinical and sub-clinical Salmonellae infections in piglets and weaners in Gulu and Soroti districts.
Intensive management should be promoted to reduce the risk of NTS.
Makerere University, Kampala Uganda