Campylobacter Species: Considerations For Controlling A Foodborne Pathogen

Abstract

Studies in the past decade have demonstrated with convincing evidence that Campylobacter jejuni is an important enteric pathogen of man. The wide distribution of the organism in animal reservoirs, and in foods of animal origin makes control of this foodborne microbe a formidable undertaking. Although the vehicles that are incriminated as sources of infection are broad, most illnesses occur sporadically without a finite determination as to the mode of transmission. The problem is further amplified because an infectious zoonotic disease like Campylobacter enteritis not only occurs frequently, but is almost always unsuspected, and too often unrecognized. Factors that perpetuate the Campylobacter problem are spreading Campylobacter during animal slaughtering and processing, concentrating animals in feedlots and brooding houses, poor food handling and storage practices, environmental contamination from animal wastes and other sources. Campylobacteriosis is a universal problem and an immense challenge to all who work in the arena of food protection. The solutions for control and prevention are demanding. In addition to more needed research, close national and international cooperation is a mandate if progress will be realized in the long-term minimization, and eventual elimination of this pathogen.

DNA restriction digest and ribosomal RNA gene patterns ofCampylobacter jejuni: a comparison with bio-, sero-, and bacteriophage-types of United Kingdom outbreak strains

“…In the United Kingdom over the past decade, infections with Campylobacterjejuni have increased five-fold to become the commonest single cause of food-poisoning associated with the consumption of undercooked poultry, but untreated water and raw milk may also act as vehicles of infection, sometimes with epidemic outbreaks [1][2][3]. Similar dramatic increases have been observed in other developed countries [4][5][6].…”

Seasonal variation of thermophilic campylobacters in lambs at slaughter

“…Similarly, sheep grazing on salt marsh pasture, which is regularly flooded by estuarine waters contaminated with campylobacters (Jones et al 1990c;Zainuldin and Jones 1996), showed no differences in faecal shedding of campylobacters from those sheep grazing on 'clean' upland or lowland farm pastures. Franco (1988) has suggested that there is a low level of carriage in sheep. However, our results from the abattoir clearly show that intestinal infection is close to 100%.…”

“…Grau (1991) has shown that thermophilic campylobacters are readily isolated from the intestinal tract of apparently healthy ruminants and that the carriage rate varies significantly between individual herds and flocks. The level of carriage of Campylobacter in sheep and the incidence of contamination of sheep meat at slaughter is, however, reported to be low (Franco 1988). In this paper, seasonal variations in the size of the Campylobacter population (numbers of bacteria) and the isolation rate (the number of animals carrying the bacterium) in the intestinal contents of lambs at slaughter were investigated.…”

Microbial growth and its control in meat, poultry and fish

“…(Palumbo, 1986;Doyle, 1988a;Franco, 1988). Outbreaks have been associated with raw or inadequately cooked foods of animal origin, especially milk, and including chicken, turkey and hamburger.…”