Method for rapid detection of salmonella pushed

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture is supporting a study being conducted by the University of the Philippines for the establishment of a fast and cost-effective method for detecting Salmonella bacteria in raw meat and meat products.

The study aims to create a protocol for the rapid molecular detection of Salmonella, trace its source and control transmission.

Dr. Windell Rivera, professor of microbiology at the Institute of Biology at UP Diliman said this is possible using a method called Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) that is “highly sensitive and very specific.”

Swine, poultry and cattle are common carriers of the bacteria, Rivera said.

The hog industry is the largest animal industry on the country with more than two million metric tons (MT) of production in 2014, according the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

“The industry is constantly challenged by various microbial diseases. Salmonellosis is one of the dreaded diseases that cause huge monetary losses because of morbidity-linked reduction in productivity and increased costs for disease treatment,” Rivera said.

The study aims to significantly reduce the five-day standard culture period for detection of Salmonella in infected meat.

The UP Diliman research team would also classify the Salmonella species according to antigens they possess to determine treatment methods.

Antigens are proteins used by microorganisms for immunity againstforeign microbes.

Several emergent strains of Salmonella bacteria are resistant to antibiotics such as ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin.

“Better detection and better epidemiological data would mean better control strategies and better policies. The current policies can be evaluated and adjust accordingly,”  Rivera said.