[Prevalence of infections caused by Salmonella spp. in cattle and horses at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Montreal].

The study explores the prevalence of Salmonella spp. infections in cattle and horses admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal. The study finds a relatively low incidence of such infections within a one-year period, though rates were observed to be higher in horses than in cattle.

Study Design and Methods

• The study involved a bacteriological examination of animal feces, specifically looking for traces of the bacteria Salmonella spp.
• The examination was conducted at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal.
• It tracked the presence of the bacteria over the course of a one-year period.

Study Findings

• The incidence of Salmonella spp. in the studied animals was found to be low.
• The prevalence of Salmonella spp. at the time of hospitalization was reported as 1.4% in cattle and 1.7% in horses.
• The incidence, expressed as the number of new cases per 100 animals each year, was also relatively low, with 15.1 cases in cattle and 38.7 cases in horses.
• The most prevalent Salmonella serotype found in both species was typhimurium.

Temporal Distribution

• In cattle, the cases of Salmonella spp. infections were found to be evenly distributed over the year.
• In contrast, the study noticed a surge in the number of cases in horses in April 1996. This indicates a probable increased transmission during this time.

Overall, while this study presents a fairly low incidence of Salmonella infections in cattle and horses, it nonetheless suggests the need for continued surveillance and preventive measures, given the potential for disease spread particularly in certain periods of the year. Further studies could potentially examine the causative factors for the observed rise in horse infections in April.