Ecology of Arcobacter species in chicken rearing and processing

Abstract

Aims: To investigate whether Arcobacter spp. colonize the poultry-rearing environment or whether they are contaminants acquired during transportation and/or from the processing plant. Methods and Results: Samples were collected on poultry farms and in the processing plant during slaughter and dressing. Two cultural methods of detection were used. Isolates were identified to species level using a multiplexpolymerase chain reaction (m-PCR) method, either on the initial suspensions, or after enrichment, or on pure cultures of isolates. Of the 62 samples examined from poultry farms, arcobacters were found only outside the rearing sheds (in effluent sludge and stagnant water). Thirty-four samples were examined from the processing plant and 26 were positive for arcobacters. All the isolates were Arcobacter butzleri. Arcobacters were not found in any sample by direct plating nor by m-PCR on the initial suspensions, thus it was concluded that numbers were very low. Conclusions: Arcobacter spp. were not found in samples from the live birds and their immediate environment, but A. butzleri was found in effluent sludge and stagnant water outside the rearing sheds. However, A. butzleri is common in poultry abattoirs, and it appears that poultry carcasses are contaminated during processing. Significance and Impact of the Study: Arcobacters are not found inside poultry-rearing sheds, but are contaminants in the processing environment.

The introduction of Arcobacter spp. in poultry slaughterhouses

“…Arcobacter spp. are found on equipment along the processing line and in processing water: water in the scalding tank, water outlets of the defeathering machine and washers (Houf et al, 2002b;Gude et al, 2005). The bacteria were also isolated from the transportation crates used by flocks from which no Arcobacter species were detected in their caecal contents (Houf et al, 2002b).…”

“…The recovery of Arcobacter species in live birds or intestinal contents depends on sampling size and place. In most studies in the literature only a small numbers of samples were taken (Atabay and Corry, 1997;Gude et al, 2005;Van Driessche and Houf, 2007). The sampling site also appears to be important.…”

“…are recovered from carcasses at different processing stages (e.g. pre-and post-scald, pre-and post-evisceration and pre-and post-chill) (Houf et al, 2002b;Son et al, 2007) as well as along the slaughterhouse processing line, equipment and processing water (Houf et al, 2002b;Houf et al, 2003;Gude et al, 2005). The organisms are hardly isolated from the gut contents of birds belonging to the same flock where arcobacter-positive carcasses come from (Atabay and Corry, 1997;Houf et al, 2002b).…”

“…It has been hypothesised that Arcobacter spp. are probably not normal inhabitants of chicken intestines (Eifert et al, 2003;Gude et al, 2005;Gonzalez et al, 2007). The source of arcobacter contamination on carcasses would be the slaughterhouse environment and/or water used during processing (Atabay and Corry, 1997;Gude et al, 2005;Van Driessche and Houf, 2007).…”

Isolation and determination of antimicrobial resistance of Arcobacter species isolated from animal faeces in the Diyarbakir region of Turkey using the 16S rDNA-RFLP method

“…in fowl. Gude et al (2005) failed to isolate Arcobacter spp. from chicken faeces, while Aydin et al (2007) could not isolate Arcobacter spp.…”