International Journal of Food Microbiology 51 (1999) 187–190 www.elsevier.nl / locate / ijfoodmicro
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Prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in poultry and poultry meat in Germany Viktoria Atanassova*, Christian Ring Veterinary University Hannover, Centre for Food Sciences, Department of Food Hygiene and Microbiology, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hannover, Germany Received 15 March 1999; accepted 2 August 1999
Abstract Of 509 samples from poultry flocks, 209 isolates (41.1%) were Campylobacter positive. The number of positive cases in broiler carcasses was 45.9%. Of 52 pheasants investigated, 25.9% were Campylobacter positive. Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from 86 (42.0%) poultry flock samples, 47 (43%) broiler samples and 15 (28%) wild pheasant samples. C. coli was found at a rate of 1.2% in poultry flocks, 13% in broilers and 21% in pheasants. 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Campylobacter; C. jejuni; C. coli; Poultry; Poultry meat
1. Introduction Results of studies on clinical Campylobacter cases in humans show a growing tendency (De Boer and Hahne, 1990; Jones et al., 1991a and b). In several European countries, Campylobacter pathogenic to man have been isolated more frequently than Salmonella (Humphrey et al., 1993; Bryan and Doyle, 1995). Tokumaru et al. (1991) reported that in Japan more Campylobacter than Salmonella are detected during the slaughter and cutting processes. In Germany, campylobacteriosis is the second most frequent cause of gastrointestinal infections *Corresponding author. Tel.: 1 49-511-856-7517; fax: 1 49511-856-7678.
(Dedie` et al., 1993). Campylobacter enteritis is a disease mainly taken up with food. In contrast to other bacterial enteritis agents, an increase of Campylobacter populations in foodstuffs is unlikely. Important sources of infection are inadequately heated poultry meat, poultry liver and cross-contamination of foodstuff through lack of kitchen hygiene (Skirrow, 1982; Skirrow and Blaser, 1992; Oosterom, 1994). From the food hygiene point of view, poultry thus plays an important role in the transmission of Campylobacter to man. In fresh poultry meat, the rate of contamination is 0–100% (Hood et al., 1988; Jones et al., 1991a and b; Karib and Seeger, 1994; Lee et al., 1994). Campylobacter was isolated mainly from the skin, the neck skin and the breast musculature, with
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bacterial counts of 1.5 3 10 3 –1.5 3 10 6 KbE / g per animal (Hood et al.,1988; Humphrey et al., 1993). Poultry offal (liver, heart and stomach) can generally also be contaminated with Campylobacter. Christopher et al. (1982) reported that 50% of investigated livers were contaminated with Campylobacter. During the slaughter process, damage to the intestinal tract can lead to direct contamination. Contamination can also occur indirectly through air, since during both defeathering and evisceration up to 10 4 KbE / m 3 have been demonstrated (Oosterom et al., 1983; Jones et al., 1991a and b).
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Poultry and pheasant samples In a study in Germany during a period of three years (1995–1997), samples were obtained from 12 poultry flocks, 2 poultry slaughter plants, as well as from 52 hunted pheasants and investigated for the presence of Campylobacter. The investigations were carried out in the periods November to December. From poultry flocks, which were three-weeks-old, smear samples were taken from five randomly chosen animals one week prior to slaughter, and after slaughter or post-mortem investigation, a caecal and a liver sample were also taken. In slaughter plants, samples were taken from the skin, liver and the neck of slaughtered broilers. From the pheasants, samples were taken from the skin, caecum and liver.
2.2. Isolation and identification of Campylobacter Culturing was done by the Campylobacter-Enrichment-Bouillon No.2 (Oxoid No. CM 67) and Preston Campylobacter Selective Agar (PA, Oxoid CM 689). Each of them were supplemented with 5% (v / v)
saponine-lysed horse blood and Campylobacter Selective Supplement (Oxoid No.SR 1 117). The samples in Campylobacter Enrichment Bouillon were incubated for 24h at 378C and 24h at 428C; the culture was streaked onto a PA plate, which was incubated for 48h at 378C and 428C in a microaerobic environment. From each positive agar plate, one typical Campylobacter colony was subcultured and tested for Gram-staining, motility, production of oxidase and catalase and hippurate hydrolysis. All Campylobacter strains were frozen at 2 708C in Brain Heart Infusion (Difco 0037-17-8) with 17% (v / v) glycerol, awaiting biochemical tests (api Campy Ref 20890, ` bio Merieux). The Campylobacter isolates were also serotyped according to the Penner method (Penner and Hennessy, 1980).
3. Results and discussion The results of demonstrating the presence of Campylobacter in poultry flocks, slaughtered broilers and wild pheasants are shown in Table 1. Out of a total of 509 samples taken from poultry flocks, 209 isolates could be classified as Campylobacter. From 111 broiler samples, 51 (45.9%) were Campylobacter positive, and from 52 wild pheasants, 14 (25.9%) were positive. Campylobacter jejuni biotype II was the most frequent isolate from wild pheasants (69.5%) and from broilers (46.0%). C. jejuni biotype I was predominant in isolates from poultry flocks (54.5%). Campylobacter coli most frequently was isolated (1.2%) from poultry flocks. In the group of other Campylobacter spp. we identified Campylobacter sputorum subsp. faecalis, Campylobacter cryaerophila and Campylobacter upsaliensis. The detection rate in three-week-old cockerels (41.4%) and in slaughtered broilers (45.9%) is
Table 1 Campylobacter in poultry production Sample source
No. of samples analysed
Campylobacter positive isolates
Campylobacter positive (%)
Poultry flocks Broilers Wild pheasants
509 111 52
209 51 14
41.4 45.9 25.9
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similar to data from the UK and Northern Ireland, with 41% Campylobacter positive poultry meat (Bryan and Doyle, 1995; Madden et al., 1996; Bolton, 1996). Sources of contamination and routes of infection with Campylobacter are important for poultry fattening units. Transmission of Campylobacter from egg to chick is not typical (Doyle, 1984; Baker et al., 1987). Infection and horizontal transmissions from one living animal to the other are of particular significance for the rate of detection of Campylobacter in poultry production. Very few infected animals can be the source of infection for the whole herd (Shanker et al., 1990). Because of the widespread use of air-conditioning in pens, with optimal temperatures and humidity, seasonal influences on the spread of Campylobacter in production units hardly play a role. Where the inside climate cannot be standardised throughout the year, a higher incidence of Campylobacter is observed in May and October (Doyle, 1984; Arwana, 1987; Wallance et al., 1997). Investigations at poultry slaughtering plants showed that there are many opportunities for contamination of carcasses (Oosterom et al., 1983; Jones et al., 1991a and b). The slaughtering plant is an important station for contamination with Campylobacter, as can be seen from the observation that the rate of isolation from carcasses is several times higher than from animals entering plants (Hartog and De Boer, 1982; Izat et al., 1988; Jones et al., 1991a and b). Our results from 111 slaughtered broilers found positive for Campylobacter (45.9%) correspond to results in literature (Park et al., 1981; Oosterom et al., 1983; Lee et al., 1994). It is well known that higher isolation rates (71%) are found during warm seasons than during the winter (Ziegler, 1993). Our investigations were carried out from November to December, thus this is a further reason for relatively low isolation rates as compared to investigations carried out in summer. In wild birds, Campylobacter has been demonstrated mainly in geese, wading birds, seagulls and ¨ mallard (Glunder, 1988). Out of 52 shot pheasants we investigated, Campylobacter were isolated from 14 (25.9%). When different animal species are compared, Campylobacter jejuni is most the frequently found in
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poultry (Gonzales and Abuxapqui, 1989; Oosterom et al., 1994). Isolation rates of C. jejuni of up to 100% have been found in freshly slaughtered chickens and turkeys (Acuff et al., 1986; Berndtson et al., 1992; Lee et al., 1994). Our results on the detection of C. jejuni in poultry flocks, slaughtered broilers and shot pheasants are in agreement with results from other EU countries (Christopher et al., 1982; Hood et al., 1988; Shanker et al., 1990; Smith, 1995). The occurence of C. coli in poultry flocks (1.21%) and in slaughtered broilers (13.04%) is lower than in data from Northern Ireland. In our trials, only a low percentage of C. coli was detected, which is in agreement with studies in other countries (Dedie` et al., 1993; Humphrey et al., 1993).
Acknowledgements This work was financially supported by Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds Germany.
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