Domestic poultry constitutes the largest single reservoir of salmonella organisms existing in nature. Among all species salmonella are most frequently reported from poultry and poultry products, because of the large population at risk and the active nation wide programmes for their isolation and identification. The present work conducted to study the prevalence of salmonella spp infection in broiler chicks up to 14 days of age. One hundred fifty five broiler chicks up to 14-days of age were collected from 31 poultry farms around the Ahvaz city. The chicks were killed by dislocation of cervical vertebrae. Individual tissue from liver, lungs, cecum, yolk sac, air sacs and heart blood were cultured on brilliant green agar according to Mallinson and Snoeynbos method. The results showed that from 18 (%58.06) poultry farm out of 31 were infected with salmonella. Salmonella were isolated from 44 (%28.38) of chicks out 155 chicks. The highest percentage of isolations was made from cecum with 21 (%13.54) positive samples, followed by liver 19 (%12.25), heart blood 16(%10.32), yolk sac 11(%7.09) and lungs 4 (%2.58) positive samples. The salmonella could not isolated from air sacs. The age of 130 out of 155 chicks were less than one week and from 29 percent of these chicks salmonella were isolated. The highest percentage of isolation from chicks under one week of age was made from cecum with 17 (%13.07), followed by liver and heart blood with 16(%12.3), yolk sac with 11(%8.46) and lungs with 4 (%3.07) positive samples. Salmonella were isolated from 6(%24) out of 25 chicks 7 to 14 days of age. The highest percentage of isolation from chicks 7 to 14 days of age was made from cecum with 4(%16) followed with liver with 3 (%12) positive samples. Salmonella could not isolated from heart blood, lungs, youlk sac and air sacs.

Probiotics are products from microbial cells that have useful influence on health and tranquility of humans. According to numerous studies, many valuable properties such as anti-mutagenic, anti-carcinogenic, boosting body immunity and resistance against enteric pathogens have been attributed to probiotics. Therefore the aim of this study is to specify the effect of probiotics use in the diet of broilers on microbial hazards of poultry meat. For this purpose, two groups of treatment and control each containing 40 broiler chicks were chosen and edible probiotic were given to the treatment group throughout the whole 55 days of the rearing period under the same conditions and following slaughter 100 grams of skin and breast meat samples were collected from each carcass and transferred to food hygiene laboratory of the veterinary faculty under sterile conditions. Total microbial count, Staphylococcus aureous, fecal Streptococci, Clostridium perferingens, Coliforms counts and detection of Salmonella and E.coli were performed on the samples according to standard approaches of Iran. The results were analyzed using independent t-Test and Chi-square test. Comparison of the means of total microbial count, coliform, enteric streptococci and meat staphylococcus counts in the control and treatment group using independent t-Test showed a significant reduction (p<0.005). Also, detection of E.coli in the treatment group showed a significant reduction in comparison with the control group (p<0.05) although, Salmonella and Clostridium reductions were not statistically significant. It seems that oral consumption of probiotics is effective in the reduction of enteric pathogenic bacteria of poultry meat. Therefore, if the frequency and level of microbial contamination of food including poultry meat with these micro-organisms is reduced on effective step is undertaken towards reduction of food borne diseases and improvement of hygienic quality and shelf life of poultry meat. 

Mold contamination of feeds is a common problem in poultry industry. The aim of this study was to investigate mold contamination of laying hen diets around Tehran (Shahriar and Malard). For this purpose, 5 laying poultry farms were subjected to random sampling so that a total of 60 samples were taken from each poultry farm during four consecutive seasons. For counting and separation of molds, surface cultivation in the culture medium was used. After the primary growth of molds, slide culture was prepared and the macroscopic and microscopic indices of molds were defined. Seven types of molds were separated by macroscopic and microscopic studies. In terms of the total number of molds in laying poultry farms in each season, no significant difference was observed, but between seasons a significant difference was observed (p<0.001), as such, the number of molds in autumn (3.11±0.10 Log CFU/g) and winter (3.35±0.10 Log CFU /g) showed the highest level of contamination in all laying poultry farms. Also, the lowest number of mold contamination was observed during the spring and summer in all laying poultry farms. Fusarium, Penicilium, Aspergillius flavus, Mucor, Aspergillus niger, Alternaria and Ulocladium were the most prevalent molds in all seasons. Overall, there was a seasonal trend in the amount of mold contamination with maximal contamination observed during autumn and winter seasons.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays due to the extensive use of antibiotics, antimicrobial resistance is recognized as a global concern for the health of animals and humans. The consequences of antimicrobial resistance are resistance of zoonotic pathogenic factors and reductions in the effectiveness of treatment for many diseases. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study are the monitoring and prevalence of antimicrobial residues of the poultry carcasses in Kerman poultry abattoirs. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted from June 2015 to October 2016. A total of 474 samples were collected from Kerman province poultry abattoirs and tested with four plate test (FPT) method. Data were analyzed using Descriptive statistics for qualitative data with 95 % confidence interval. RESULTS: A total of 38 samples were positive (8/02 %), Antibiotics isolates included: Fluoroquinolone, Macrolide, Cephalosporin, β-lactam, Tetracycline, Sulfonamide and Amino glycoside. The highest rate of antibiotics isolated in positive samples was Fluoroquinolone (36/1 %) and the lowest rate was cephalosporin (4/1 %). Half of the samples were positive for one type of antibiotic (Fluoroquinolone), 28/9 % for two types of antibiotics, 13/1 % for three types of antibiotics, 5/2% for five kinds of antibiotics and 2/6 % for six kinds of antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study showed that about 10 percent of the meat consumed in this province has antimicrobial residues. Therefore, it can be suggested that proper management strategies for controlling the veterinary drug usage in poultry farms be implemented.

There are a number of requirements by which animals should be managed so that the best performance is achieved in a way acceptable to those responsible for the care of the animals and to the community generally. These requirements are the keys to good management and may be used to test the management of a poultry enterprise in relation to the standard of its management. These requirements are also called Principles. The importance of each Principle changes with the situation and thus the emphasis placed on each may alter from place to place and from time to time. This means that, while the Principles do not change the degree of emphasis and method of application may change. Every facet of the poultry operation should be tested against the relevant principles.