The seasonal variation of thermophilic campylobacters in beef cattle, dairy cattle and calves

Abstract

ON ES . 1998. The epidemiology of clinical cases of campylobacter in temperate climates shows a striking seasonality. In the search for a seasonal environmental reservoir changes in the carriage rate and population size of campylobacters in bovine hosts with time have been measured. Most probable number (MPN) methodology was used to enumerate thermophilic campylobacters in samples taken from the small intestines of beef cattle at slaughter and the fresh faeces of four dairy herds and new-born calves. Statistical analyses revealed significant evidence for seasonal periodicity in the data from dairy herds (P 0·044). Not only was there a departure from constancy within a 12-month interval but these data revealed a true seasonality, that is, the same periodicity in numbers from one year to the next. Each herd had two peaks per year, in approximately spring and autumn. Peaks coincided in herds on neighbouring farms but those on farms in the north preceded those on farms in the south by 2 and 1 months, respectively (P 0·0057). Intestinal carriage by beef cattle at slaughter was 89·4% (n 360) with an average MPN campylobacters per gram fresh weight (MPN gfw ). There was no evidence of seasonal periodicity in the size of the campylobacter population in beef cattle at slaughter. Calves were campylobacter free at birth but became colonized within a few days.

Seasonal variation of thermophilic campylobacters in lambs at slaughter

“…These numbers are considerably higher than has been reported previously in studies with sheep (Grau 1991). The average number of campylobacters in lamb intestines is more than 10 times higher than that reported for the intestines of beef cattle at slaughter (Stanley et al 1998) but considerably lower than that reported for chickens (Wallace et al 1997). Statistical analysis of the data revealed a significant seasonal variation in the numbers of thermophilic campylobacters in monthly samples of lambs at slaughter.…”

“…The superiority of enrichment vs direct plating for isolating thermophilic campylobacters has also been reported for chickens (Wallace et al 1997), beef and dairy cattle (Stanley et al 1998). No apparent seasonal variation in the overall isolation rate (the number of lambs carrying Campylobacter at slaughter) was detected but the rate was consistently high all year round.…”

“…broiler chickens (Wallace et al 1997) and in fresh faeces of Lancashire dairy cows (Stanley et al 1998) and, in the case of broiler chickens, the numbers of campylobacters were found to correlate with minimum temperature.…”

“…It has been shown that campylobacters can be isolated in considerable numbers from dairy cattle on farms and from beef cattle and poultry at slaughter in the Lancaster area (Wallace et al 1997;Stanley et al 1998). The intestinal populations of thermophilic campylobacters in poultry (Wallace et al 1997) and the populations shed in faeces by dairy cows (Stanley et al 1998) show significant seasonal variations. In the case of poultry, there was a late spring/early summer peak which coincided with the peak for human, clinical infections in the Lancaster area.…”

Prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in Slaughtered Cattle and Buffaloes in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic

“…isolation from the fecal and bile samples of ruminants in these reports are relatively high, i.e., 4%-91% from fecal samples and 16%-97% from bile samples. Variables such as herd size; type, season, and age of the animal; sample site; sample frequency; isolation method; geography; and diet and husbandry practices have been suggested as reasons for the differences in rates of isolation [14,24,25]. Our present data demonstrated that only 1.6% of the caecum samples and 1.0% of the bile samples from the buffaloes were positive for C. jejuni and C. fetus; no Campylobacter spp.…”