A microbiological survey was conducted to determine the presence of Salmonella spp. in raw commingled bulk tank milk (BTM) collected from the Pennsylvania dairies intended for pasteurization. The survey found 8.1% (10/123) of samples positive for Salmonella. Salmonella Cerro was the predominant serovar and genetic analysis of the Salmonella Cerro showed the existence of diverse yet closely related genotypes. Antibiotic susceptibility testing conducted on all isolates showed pan-susceptible pattern against 15 drugs covering 9 drug classes. The study helped determine the presence of Salmonella spp. in the commingled BTM, antibiotic susceptibility patterns, and serovars along with genotypic diversity among the predominant serovar, Salmonella Cerro.
Keywords: Cerro; PFGE; antimicrobial susceptibility; foodborne pathogen; milk.