A longitudinal study of Campylobacterdistribution in a turkey production chain

Perko-Mäkelä Päivikki, Isohanni Pauliina, Katzav Marianne, Lund Marianne, Hänninen Marja-Liisa, Lyhs, Lyhs Ulrike

Description

Campylobacter is the most common cause of bacterial enteritis worldwide. Handling and eating of contaminated poultry meat has considered as one of the risk factors for human campylobacteriosis. Campylobacter contamination can occur at all stages of a poultry production cycle. The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence of Campylobacter during a complete turkey production cycle which lasts for 1,5 years of time. For detection of Campylobacter , a conventional culture method was compared with a PCR method. Campylobacter isolates from different types of samples have been identified to the species level by a multiplex PCR assay. Methods Samples (N = 456) were regularly collected from one turkey parent flock, the hatchery, six different commercial turkey farms and from 11 different stages at the slaughterhouse. For the detection of Campylobacter , a conventional culture and a PCR method were used. Campylobacter isolates (n = 143) were identified to species level by a multiplex PCR assay. Results No Campylobacter were detected in either the samples from the turkey parent flock or from hatchery samples using the culture method. PCR detected Campylobacter DNA in five faecal samples and one fluff and eggshell sample. Six flocks out of 12 commercial turkey flocks where found negative at the farm level but only two were negative at the slaughterhouse. Conclusion During the brooding period Campylobacter might have contact with the birds without spreading of the contamination within the flock. Contamination of working surfaces and equipment during slaughter of a Campylobacter positive turkey flock can persist and lead to possible contamination of negative flocks even after the end of the day's cleaning and desinfection. Reduction of contamination at farm by a high level of biosecurity control and hygiene may be one of the most efficient ways to reduce the amount of contaminated poultry meat in Finland. Due to the low numbers of Campylobacter in the Finnish turkey production chain, enrichment PCR seems to be the optimal detection method here.

Informations

• Publié par: biomed
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 16
• Langue: English

Extrait

Acta

Veterinaria

Scandinavica

BioMedCentral

Research Open Access A longitudinal study ofCampylobacterdistribution in a turkey production chain 1 2 Päivikki PerkoMäkelä* , Pauliina Isohanni , Marianne Katzav, 3 4 2 Marianne Lund , MarjaLiisa Hänninen and Ulrike Lyhs

1 Address: Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira, Research Department, Production Animal Health, PO Box 198, FI60101 Seinäjoki, Finland, 2 3 Ruralia Institute, Seinäjoki Unit, University of Helsinki, Kampusranta 9C, FI60320 Seinäjoki, Finland, National Veterinary Institute, Technical 4 University of Denmark, Hangøvej 2, DK8200 Århus N, Denmark and Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki PO Box 61, FI00014 University of Helsinki, Finland Email: Päivikki PerkoMäkelä*  paivikki.perko[e-mail]; Pauliina Isohanni  [e-mail]; Marianne Katzav  [e-mail]; Marianne Lund  [e-mail]; MarjaLiisa Hänninen  marja[e-mail]; Ulrike Lyhs  [e-mail] *Corresponding author

Published: 07 April 2009 Received: 18 December 2008 Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica2009,517 April 2009:18 doi: 10.1186/175101475118 Accepted: This article is available from: http://www.actavetscand.com/content/51/1/18 ©2009 PerkoMäkelä et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract Background:Campylobacteris the most common cause of bacterial enteritis worldwide. Handling and eating of contaminated poultry meat has considered as one of the risk factors for human campylobacteriosis.Campylobactercontamination can occur at all stages of a poultry production cycle. The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence ofCampylobacterduring a complete turkey production cycle which lasts for 1,5 years of time. For detection ofCampylobacter, a conventional culture method was compared with a PCR method.Campylobacterisolates from different types of samples have been identified to the species level by a multiplex PCR assay. Methods:Samples (N = 456) were regularly collected from one turkey parent flock, the hatchery, six different commercial turkey farms and from 11 different stages at the slaughterhouse. For the detection ofCampylobacter, a conventional culture and a PCR method were used. Campylobacterisolates (n = 143) were identified to species level by a multiplex PCR assay. Results:NoCampylobacterwere detected in either the samples from the turkey parent flock or from hatchery samples using the culture method. PCR detectedCampylobacterDNA in five faecal samples and one fluff and eggshell sample. Six flocks out of 12 commercial turkey flocks where found negative at the farm level but only two were negative at the slaughterhouse. Conclusion:During the brooding periodCampylobactermight have contact with the birds without spreading of the contamination within the flock. Contamination of working surfaces and equipment during slaughter of aCampylobacterpositive turkey flock can persist and lead to possible contamination of negative flocks even after the end of the day's cleaning and desinfection. Reduction of contamination at farm by a high level of biosecurity control and hygiene may be one of the most efficient ways to reduce the amount of contaminated poultry meat in Finland. Due to the low numbers ofCampylobacterin the Finnish turkey production chain, enrichment PCR seems to be the optimal detection method here.

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