Prospects in Salmonella control: Competitive exclusion, probiotics, and enhancement of avian intestinal immunity

Salmonella infections are mainly asymptomatic in poultry but are associated with widespread human illness from this source. Therefore, there is continuing interest in finding ways of preventing flock infection and, hence, contamination of poultry products with salmonellas. This review considers aspects of Salmonella carriage in poultry and host interactions that may be exploitable in the future to improve existing control measures. These include factors involved in colonization of the gastrointestinal tract, the role of competitive exclusion and probiotic treatments, and enhancement of intestinal immunity.