Detection of Campylobacter Bacteria in Air Samples for Continuous Real-Time Monitoring of Campylobacter Colonization in Broiler Flocks

Abstract

Improved monitoring tools are important for the control of Campylobacter bacteria in broiler production. In this study, we compare the sensitivities of detection of Campylobacter by PCR with feces, dust, and air samples during the lifetimes of broilers in two poultry houses and conclude that the sensitivity of detection of Campylobacter in air is comparable to that in other sample materials. Profiling of airborne particles in six poultry houses revealed that the aerodynamic conditions were dependent on the age of the chickens and very comparable among different poultry houses, with low proportions of particles in the 0.5-to 2-m-diameter range and high proportions in the 2-to 5-m-diameter range. Campylobacter could also be detected by PCR in air samples collected at the hanging stage during the slaughter process but not at the other stages tested at the slaughterhouse. The exploitation of airborne dust in poultry houses as a sample material for the detection of Campylobacter and other pathogens provides an intriguing possibility, in conjunction with new detection technologies, for allowing continuous or semicontinuous monitoring of colonization status.Campylobacter spp. cause zoonotic infections estimated to be responsible for 5% to 14% of diarrheal cases in humans worldwide and, in addition, are the most frequently identified cause of Guillain Barré syndrome (6, 12). The most prevalent species found in clinical cases in humans is Campylobacter jejuni, while C. coli and C. lari play less-prominent roles. It has been suggested that approximately half of the human cases of campylobacteriosis originate from livestock (5), and known sources are undercooked poultry, unpasteurized dairy products, and contaminated water (7). Poultry are considered the most important source of infections (15).In Denmark, a voluntary intervention strategy implemented in 2003 aims to reduce the incidence of Campylobacter-positive results for broiler flocks. This strategy encompasses directives for monitoring the infection status of broilers at preharvest stages and at harvest while poultry houses and slaughterhouses take specific hygienic measures, and it provides an economic incentive to farmers delivering Campylobacter-negative flocks. A significant decrease in the prevalence of Campylobacterpositive broiler flocks, from 38% in 2003 to 29.9% in 2006, was attained. This decrease may be attributed to the intervention program (1). A strategy to further reduce this prevalence during the next 5 years has been formulated (2).Culture-based identification of Campylobacter is slow and complicated. Therefore, molecular-based methods, PCR and real-time PCR in particular, are gradually replacing traditional culture-based identification methods for the detection of Campylobacter in poultry and poultry products (9, 10, 11). In order to improve the monitoring of Campylobacter and ensure freedom from infection in poultry flocks, our aim is to develop devices and methods of automated semicontinuous detection of Campylobacter by exploiting PCR technology....

Prevalence of Foodborne Pathogens in Grilled Chicken from Street Vendors and Retail Outlets in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico

“…can contaminate food anywhere along the food production process (10), but undercooked poultry is the most important source of infection (3,22,26). Several studies have been carried out on raw food sold by street vendors and in retail outlets (13,16,17,25), but there are few studies that include cooked foods, especially in Mexico (2). In our region and all over northeast Mexico, grilled chicken, bought from both street vendors and retail outlets, is frequently consumed.…”

Biotracing: a new integrated concept in food safety

“…In the poultry chain, biotracing has addressed the point of entry of Campylobacter jejuni in the poultry production chain, the impact of processing conditions on the physiology of the organism and modelling the behaviour of Campylobacter along the production chain for the purpose of tracing and tracking contamination (Olsen et al 2009, Gonza Âlez et al 2009). This has resulted in advanced user-friendly tools for source attribution and demonstrated that contamination from the slaughterhouse environment is a significant factor in contaminating chicken meat.…”

“…The matrix of data generated is the basis for predicting the behaviour of pathogens under given conditions in relevant scenarios (Manios et al 2009, Schvartzman et al 2010b). · There have been developments in novel sampling and sample preparation technologies to overcome existing bottlenecks in end-use analytical laboratories (Olsen et al 2009). · More reliable and faster test systems based on molecular methods have been developed (Josefsen et al 2007, Lo Èfstro Èm et al 2009a, 2009b, Fach et al 2009, Walcher et al 2010.…”

Towards biotracing in food chains

“…While HACCP focuses on the critical production points, biotracing deals with the entire chain, from the primary production at farms (Olsen et al, 2009), through transportation, storage, distribution, shelf-life issues and consumption by consumers. An example here is the biological information on the significance of strains that are isolated during routine quality control checks: does the strain have virulence traits, can it confer pathogenicity, is it recurrent, can it survive the environment of the food production in question?…”