Cooperative Agreement to Support the North Carolina State University, Prestage Department of Poultry Science and the Piedmont Research Station (U01)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing its intention to receive and consider a single source application for the award of a cooperative agreement in fiscal year 2013 (FY13) to the North Carolina State University, Prestage Department of Poultry Science to support the Piedmont Research Station Poultry Unit, Salisbury, North Carolina. In 2010, approximately 1,939 cases of Salmonellosis were reported in the U.S due to Salmonella Enteritidis contamination in shell eggs. Consequently, the scientific investigation of the vertical and horizontal transmission of Salmonella in shell eggs has become a high research priority designated in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition's 2013 strategic science and research plan to address risk management of Salmonella transmission. FDA aims to implement preventative measures to reduce the vertical and horizontal transmission of Salmonella Enteritidis and potentially other Salmonella serovars to table eggs and poultry products. Intensive genetic selection for enhanced egg production has altered the ability to resist microbial contamination within laying hen breeders. Thus, it is imperative that interventional strategies be studied to ensure the safety and microbial integrity of egg and poultry products for consumption. Therefore, the aim of FDA is to initiate a cooperative agreement with the North Carolina State University, Prestage Department of Poultry Science, in which collaborative research projects can be conducted at the Piedmont Research Station Poultry Unit, to parallel poultry and egg industry practices on a commercial scale to more accurately identify the primary routes of Salmonella transmission within the industry, and identify interventional strategies (dietary, environmental, disinfection) to reduce the risk of Salmonella transmission to table eggs. The purposes of this partnership are as follows: 1) To utilize a commercial research facility to parallel the transmission (vertical and horizontal) of Salmonella found within the egg production industry. 2) To determine how alterations in physical feed characteristics and housing may influence vertical and horizontal transmission. 3) To examine how commercially utilized disinfection protocols affect horizontal transmission of Salmonella in alternative versus traditionally housed layer hens. 4) To examine the prevalence of differing Salmonella serovars in various environmental layer hen housing systems (conventional cage, enriched cage systems, and free-range).