Salmonella shedding in racing sled dogs.

many studies have found that the prevalence was approximately 1‐4%. Previous studies found a prevalence of 1.2% in rural dogs in eastern Washington in 1951. 6 In another large-scale survey, a Salmonella prevalence of 3.45% in feces was reported in Germany from 1975 to 1994. 14 In Nigeria, a prevalence of 1.0% was reported, 8 and in Italy, a prevalence of 2.4%. 10 In a study of 1,626 asymptomatic dogs in Florida in 1951, Salmonella was isolated from 15%. 5,9 In contrast to these studies, a markedly higher prevalence in normal, asymptomatic Alaskan sled dogs is reported here. The Salmonella prevalence was similar in diarrheic dogs during a long-distance sled dog race and was not significantly different from the prevalence in asymptomatic dogs during the race. Feces from 26 normal, asymptomatic dogs (2 dogs from 13 teams) were collected before the 1996 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. During the race, fecal samples from 30 diarrheic dogs and 23 nondiarrheic dogs were obtained. The diarrheic samples came from 21 different teams, with a maximum of 3 dogs per team sampled. The nondiarrheic samples were obtained from 14 teams; again, feces were collected from a maximum of 3 dogs per team. Samples were collected at 4 different checkpoints, located at the beginning and midportions of the route. Specimens were procured from freshly defecated feces if available, or by rectal insertion of a gloved, lubricated finger, and were deposited into sterile Whirl-Pak t bags. The condition of the diarrheic feces was recorded as mild, mucoid, bloody, or liquid. Samples were kept cool but were not allowed to freeze during shipment to the diagnostic laboratories. Fecal samples were tested for a panel of enteropathogens, including Salmonella, Campylobacter, Clostridium perfringenstype A enterotoxin, rota, co