Livestock Mucosal Exclusion Culture to Reduce Enteropathogenic Bacteria

The invention is a way to eliminate or reduce food-borne pathogens from animal populations destined for human consumption. A small number of carrier animals is capable of contaminating a large amount of food with Campylobacter, Salmonella and Escherichia coli, but development of these diseases can be blocked by early establishment of a healthy micro flora population in the gut and the intestinal tract of young animals. Known as competitive exclusion, scrapings from the intestinal tract of healthy, pathogen-free animals are cultured and used to establish a healthy micro flora population in the stomach and intestine of young animals. A healthy micro flora population in the intestine of young animals will block establishment of human or animal pathogens in the animal population later in their life cycle to eliminate carrier animals. Transmission of the micro flora population from adults to offspring can be achieved by feeding, spraying or applying a liquid, paste, gel cap or aerosol treatment.