Contribution of the lesser mealworm beetle (Alphitobius diaperinus) to carriage of Salmonella enteritidis in poultry
Davies, R.H.; Wray, C.
Veterinary Record 137(16): 407-408
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0042-4900 PMID: 8545940 Document Number: 441897
None of 20 live A. diaperinus fed fish meal contaminated with 10superscript 3 to 104 S. enteritidis per g for 6 days, experimentally, were found to have surface contamination with salmonella, and salmonella could not be cultured from the beetles after they had been killed and macerated. Environmental surface swabs, mice (Mus musculus domesticus) and A. diaperinus collected from 2 broiler breeder units which had contained S. enteritidis-infected flocks were cultured for salmonella. S. enteritidis was present in 22% of the swabs and 48.6% of mice PM, but none of the 500 beetles examined were positive. The results suggest that A. diaperinus may be relatively resistant to salmonella colonisation and infected mice and environmental contamination are likely to be a greater hazard.