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Salmonella Enteritidis in chicken carcasses and giblets in Southern Chile.

BACKGROUND
Gastroenteritis caused by Salmonella spp. is mainly related to the consumption of undercooked chicken meat or raw poultry products. The objective of this study was to assess the occurrence of Salmonella spp. in chicken carcasses and giblets commercialized in Southern Chile (Valdivia city).


METHODOLOGY
A total of 560 samples were collected from four supermarkets and one poultry products dealer, during two periods (autumn-winter and spring-summer periods), and analysed for Salmonella using standard bacteriological procedures.


RESULTS
Five out of 280 analyzed carcasses (1.8%) and one out of 280 (0.4%) chicken giblets were Salmonella positive. The isolation frequency of Salmonella spp. considering the total samples analyzed was 1.1%. Salmonella Enteritidis was the only serotype isolated. No significant differences (P > 0.05) in the isolation rates between the autumn-winter and spring-summer periods were found.


CONCLUSION
Salmonella Enteritidis was isolated in low frequency from chicken carcasses and giblets commercialized in Southern Chile (Valdivia city); however, in spite of the low frequency of contaminated samples, this kind of food could be a potential vehicle of Salmonella infection to humans.