Campylobacter Contamination during Poultry Slaughter in Belgium

Rasschaert, Geertrui; Houf, Kurt; Hende, J. Van; Zutter, Lieven De

doi:10.4315/0362-028x-69.1.27

Cited by 44 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…These observations are in agreement with previous reports using alternative molecular typing methods which indicate that the carcasses of birds from negative or weakly colonized flocks can become detectably contaminated by strains carried over in the slaughterhouse environment from previous flocks (1,21,26,27). With Campylobacter-positive flocks, the evidence for such carry-over is weak, if at all, but as seen in our study, any such cross-contamination would be largely masked by the overwhelming numbers of bacteria self-contaminating the carcasses.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

“…With the potential future introduction of effective on-farm interventions to prevent broiler colonization, an increase in the prevalence of Campylobacter-negative flocks would be anticipated and cross-contamination within the slaughterhouse environment could become an important issue for some countries, especially if targets to reduce public health risks involve the prevalence of positive carcasses rather than the number of campylobacters per carcass. To this end, one strategy recommended has been to process negative and positive flocks separately (logistic slaughter) (26).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Molecular Tracking, through Processing, of Campylobacter Strains Colonizing Broiler Flocks

Elvers

Morris

Newell

et al. 2011

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Many of the poultry flocks produced in the United Kingdom are colonized with Campylobacter, and the intensive nature of poultry processing usually results in contaminated carcasses. In this study, a previously reported molecular oligonucleotide probe method was used to track a specific flock-colonizing strain(s) on broiler carcasses during processing in two United Kingdom commercial poultry processing plants. Five Campylobacter-positive flocks were sampled at four points along the processing line, postbleed, postpluck, prechill, and postchill, and two Campylobacter-negative flocks processed immediately after positive flocks were sampled prechill. flaA was sequenced from Campylobacter strains isolated from these flocks, and strain-specific probes were synthesized. Skin and cecal samples were plated onto selective agar to give individual colonies, which were transferred onto membranes. These were then hybridized with the strain-and genus-specific probes. For all the 5 positive flocks, there was a significant reduction in campylobacters postbleed compared to postpluck but no subsequent fall on sampling pre-and postchill, and the strain(s) predominating on the carcasses throughout processing came from the flock being processed. This indicates that strains from the abattoir environment were not a significant cause of carcass contamination in flocks with well-established campylobacter colonization. However, negative flocks that were preceded by positive flocks were contaminated by strains that did not generally originate from the predominating strains recovered from the ceca of the previous positive flocks. This suggests that the abattoir environment has a significant role in the contamination of carcasses from negative but not fully colonized flocks.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Tracking, through Processing, of Campylobacter Strains Colonizing Broiler Flocks

Elvers

Morris

Newell

et al. 2011

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…Campylobacter is highly prevalent among broiler flocks with on average 60% to 80% of 8 the analyzed flocks being colonized with the bacterium at slaughter age in the EU (Evans and 9 Sayers, 2000; Herman et al, 2003;Rasschaert et al, 2006;Reich et al, 2008; EFSA, 2010c). 10…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Campylobacter control in poultry by current intervention measures ineffective: Urgent need for intensified fundamental research

Hermans

Deun

Messens³

et al. 2011

Veterinary Microbiology

162

129

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Campylobacter strains pathogenic to human (Friis et al., 2010) and broiler chicken meat 5 contaminated with this pathogen is believed to be responsible for up to 40% of human 6 campylobacteriosis cases (EFSA, 2010a). 7Campylobacter is highly prevalent among broiler flocks with on average 60% to 80% of 8 the analyzed flocks being colonized with the bacterium at slaughter age in the EU (Evans and 9 Sayers, 2000; Herman et al., 2003;Rasschaert et al., 2006;Reich et al., 2008; EFSA, 2010c). 10Primary infection of broilers probably occurs through horizontal transmission from the 11 environment (Jacobs-Reitsma et al., 1995). Potential sources and vectors for contamination 12 are infected livestock and free-living animals (van de Giessen et al., 1996; Zweifel et al., 13 2008; Ellis-Iversen et al., 2009), rodents and flies (Hald et al., 2008; Hazeleger et al., 2008), 14 contaminated surface water (Messens et al., 2009) and personnel and farm equipment 15 (Ramabu et al., 2004) at the farm. Also partial thinning of broiler flocks has been implicated 16 as a potential risk factor for Campylobacter colonization of the remainder of the animals, due 17 to difficulties in maintaining biosecurity during thinning (Allen et al., 2008). Most flocks 18 become colonized at an age of two to four weeks only (Jacobs-Reitsma et al., 1995; Evans 19 and Sayers, 2000; Herman et al., 2003; van Gerwe et al., 2009). The majority of the birds in a 20 flock are colonized within only a few days after the first chick is infected (van Gerwe et al., 21 2009). These broiler chickens carry high C. jejuni numbers in their intestinal tract, especially 22 in the ceca (between 10 6 to 10 8 CFU/g or higher), and remain colonized until slaughter (Beery 23 et al., 1988;Jacobs-Reitsma et al., 1995; Evans and Sayers, 2000). 24 4 Intestinal colonization of broiler chickens with Campylobacter during rearing is 1 responsible for the contamination of the carcasses after processing (Herman et al., 2003; 2 Rasschaert et al., 2006; Rosenquist et al., 2006;Reich et al., 2008). Worldwide, an average 3 prevalence of Campylobacter contamination on poultry carcasses is reported to be in the 4 range of 60% to 80% (Suzuki and Yamamoto, 2009; EFSA, 2010c). Carcass contamination 5 occurs during defeathering and evisceration, by contaminated feces leaking from the cloaca 6 and visceral rupture of the ceca carrying a high Campylobacter load (Berrang et al., 2001; 7 Smith et al., 2007; Allen et al., 2008;Boysen and Rosenquist, 2009). In addition, carcasses 8 can become contaminated by cross-contamination of Campylobacter strains between 9 slaughtered flocks (Allen et al., 2008;Normand et al., 2008). 10 11 Campylobacter control in poultry 12 13In the past few years, several quantitative risk assessments for Campylobacter in poultry 14 meat have been developed as a guidance tool to control the presence of this zoonotic pathogen 15 throughout the poultry meat production chain (Nauta et al., 2009). Although there is 16 considerable variation between countrie...

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“…Additionally, a national survey across the chicken meat industry is an important tool for investigating the conditions of processing that must be controlled to prevent, eliminate, or reduce Campylobacter contamination (4,36). Therefore, our research goal was to execute a Belgium-wide qualitative and quantita-tive microbiological survey of C. jejuni and C. coli (addressed collectively as Campylobacter spp.)…”

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confidence: 99%

Baseline Data from a Belgium-Wide Survey of Campylobacter Species Contamination in Chicken Meat Preparations and Considerations for a Reliable Monitoring Program

Habib

Sampers

Uyttendaele

et al. 2008

Appl Environ Microbiol

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, chicken meat preparations (n ‫؍‬ 656) were sampled at 11 processing companies across Belgium. All samples were tested for Campylobacter by enrichment culture and by direct plating according to standard methods. Almost half (48.02%) of the samples were positive for Campylobacter spp. The mean Campylobacter count was 1.68 log 10 CFU/g with a standard deviation of ؎ 0.64 log 10 CFU/g. The study revealed a statistically significant variation in Campylobacter contamination levels between companies; processors with a wider frequency distribution range of Campylobacter counts provided chicken meat preparations with higher Campylobacter incidences and concentrations. There was no significant difference between the counts of Campylobacter spp. in various preparation types. However, the Campylobacter counts and incidences in chicken wings were the highest and portioned-form products (legs, wings, and breasts) showed a higher probability of being Campylobacter positive compared to minced-form products (sausages, burgers, and minced meat). The proportion of Campylobacter-positive samples was significantly higher in July than in other months. Recovery of Campylobacter spp. recovery by direct plating was higher (41.0%) compared to detection after enrichment (24.2%). Statistical modeling of the survey data showed that the likelihood of obtaining a positive result by enrichment culture increases with an increase in the Campylobacter concentration in the sample. In the present study, we provide the first enumeration data on Campylobacter contamination in Belgian chicken meat preparations and address proposals for improving Campylobacter monitoring programs.

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Campylobacter Contamination during Poultry Slaughter in Belgium

Cited by 44 publications

References 20 publications

Molecular Tracking, through Processing, of Campylobacter Strains Colonizing Broiler Flocks

Molecular Tracking, through Processing, of Campylobacter Strains Colonizing Broiler Flocks

Campylobacter control in poultry by current intervention measures ineffective: Urgent need for intensified fundamental research

Baseline Data from a Belgium-Wide Survey of Campylobacter Species Contamination in Chicken Meat Preparations and Considerations for a Reliable Monitoring Program

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