In order to estimate the contribution of Salmonella in the persistence of this bacterium in chicks, we compared the persistence of a Salmonella enteritidis strain and its plasmid-cured variant in a chicken asymptomatic carrier state model. After oral inoculation, colonization with the plasmid-cured strain was significantly reduced (P < 0.001) in the ceca of chicks from the third week postinoculation and persisted for a shorter period than the wild-type strain. Moreover, numbers of S. enteriditis-infected livers were also significantly lower (P < 0.01) for the plasmid-cured strain compared with the wild-type strain from the third to the seventh week postinoculation. No difference in spleen colonization was observed. These results did not correlate with any in vitro difference in attachment, entry to, or intracellular multiplication of bacteria within intestinal or macrophage avian cell lines.