Salmonella Laboratory

Credit: Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH
Source (public domain)

Research Activity

Salmonella spp. remain a leading cause of human foodborne disease in many countries, including Canada. Salmonella is ubiquitous in the natural environment, and many opportunities exist for cross-contamination during the production, harvest, processing and/or distribution of foodstuffs. The focus of the research in the Salmonella lab is on the generation of scientific data in support of human health risk assessments of novel foods and food processes, and on the development and evaluation of methods for the rapid and reliable detection and molecular characterization of foodborne Salmonella spp. in the Canadian food chain. Current culture-based methods used for the detection of Salmonella spp. in foods are time-consuming, and alternative methods for rapid, sensitive and specific detection of this bacterium in foods are needed. In order to address this need, molecular detection methods (multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), real-time PCR, microarrays etc.) are being developed for the detection and characterization of the most prevalent Canadian serotypes. Improved detection methodology, and determination of the prevalence of this organism in the Canadian food supply is critical for the development of effective interventions to eliminate Salmonella in foods.

Current Research Activity

• Molecular methods for rapid detection and characterization of Salmonella in foods.
• Prevalence of Salmonella in aquaculture and wild mollusks in coastal waters of British Columbia, Québec and Nova Scotia.
• Prevalence, persistance and control of Salmonella on fresh fruits and vegetables.

Recent Publications

Bucher, O., D'Aoust, J.Y., Holley, RA. 2008. Thermal resistance of Salmonella serovars isolated from raw, frozen chicken nuggets/strips, nugget meat and pelleted broiler feed. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 124(2): 195-198.

Bucher, O, Holley, R.A., Ahmed, R., Tabor, H., Nadon, C., Ng, L.K., D'Aoust, J.Y. 2007. Occurrence and characterization of Salmonella from chicken nuggets, strips and pelleted broiler feed. J. Food Prot. 70(10): 2251-2258.

D'Aoust, J.Y., Pagotto, F., Akhtar, M., Bussey, J., Cooper, C., McDonald, C., Meymandy, M., Tyler, K. 2007. Evaluation of the BAX gel and fluorometric systems for the detection of foodborne Salmonella. J. Food Prot. 70(4): 835-840.

D'Aoust, J.Y.,Gour, L. and F. Pagotto. 2006. Presence and fate of bacterial pathogens in Raw Milk cheese in Canada (2000-2005). Abstract in Proceedings of the International Symposium Salmonella and Salmonellosis, Saint-Malo, France. p. 357-361.

D'Aoust, J.Y., Bailey, J.S. and J.J. Maurer. 2006. Salmonella species. In Food Microbiology: an Introduction, T.J. Montville and K. Matthews (Eds). ASM Press, p. 85-99.

Other Related Links

1. Consumer information
2. Public Health Agency of Canada (A-Z Infectious Diseases)
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Diseases & Conditions A-Z Index)
4. The Compendium of Analytical Methods, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada