Reduction of Salmonella choleraesuis contamination in pork carcasses by vaccination

Salmonellosis is a common clinical and subclinical infection of pigs. The species adapted serovar S choleraesuis predominantly produces a septicemic disease in swine. Disease in other species, including humans, is rare compared to enteric type infections from non host adapted serovars such as S typhimurium. However, when host adapted serovars infect alternate species, disease can be severe. Vaccination with an avirulent live S choleraesuis vaccine, Enterisol® SC-54, significantly reduces prevalence and quantity of infection in pigs. Additionally, those pigs that remain culture positive have two logs or more reduction in the quantity of S choleraesuis present. Vaccination of pigs as young as one day of age is successful. Where these infections are of concern in the human population, vaccination of pigs may provide dramatic reductions of the organism swine, reducing risk in food items of swine origin.