The infection biology of pig-associated Salmonella
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Research partners: Liverpool University
Sponsors: BPEX
Duration: October 2010 – September 2013
When a pig ingests Salmonella the bacteria pass along the gastrointestinal tract to the small intestine where they attach to and invade the epithelial cells lining the gut wall. With a better understanding of this host-pathogen interaction and the immune responses of pig epithelial cells to Salmonella challenge, it should be possible to create a multivalent vaccine that will better protect the animals.
The main focus of this study will be initially to infect porcine intestinal epithelial cells (from an established cell line) with many different strains of the aforementioned important serovars (isolated by the VLA), and to characterise:
- The behaviour of the Salmonella
- The immunological response of the epithelial cells upon invasion of the bacteria
- Any differences that might exist between the strains.
This work is in line with the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) strategic plan to reduce the numbers of pigs testing positive for Salmonella at slaughter. Subsequent intervention strategies that may be informed by this research, such as vaccination, could be very beneficial to pig producers and the industry as a whole, because increased numbers of Salmonella-free pigs would ultimately provide the foundation for Salmonella-free herds; this would make pork safer to eat and more desirable to consumers.
Page last updated
08-Apr-2011