Attempts to Isolate Naturally Occurring Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Clostridium perfringens from the Ductus Deferens, Testes, and Ceca of Commercial Broiler Breeder Roosters

Abstract

Recent studies have shown a significant level of Campylobacter in the semen of midlife and late-life broiler breeder roosters. The present study was conducted to determine if several foodborne pathogens (Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Clostridium perfringens) could be isolated from the ductus deferens, testes, and ceca of 45- to 65-wk-old commercial broiler breeder roosters. Five roosters from each of 3 separate commercial housed breeder farms were transported to the laboratory. An aseptic necropsy was performed to remove the ductus deferens, testes, and ceca without surface contamination from blood and other tissues. All samples were analyzed for each of the 3 previously mentioned bacteria, total aerobic bacteria, and Enterobacteriaceae. None of the 3 foodborne pathogens were isolated from the testes of the 15 commercial roosters. Clostridium perfringens was isolated from 1 of the 15 ductus deferens, whereas no Campylobacter or Salmonella were isolated from this tissue. Campylobacter was cultured from the ceca of all 15 roosters, Clostridium perfringens from 14/15, and Salmonella from 2/15. One-quarter of all commercial broiler breeder's semen samples were found to be contaminated with Campylobacter in a previous study; however, this organism as well as Salmonella and Clostridium perfringens were not found in the reproductive tissues located in the abdominal region. Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecium were occasionally cultured from the ductus deferens. These data suggest that the contamination of semen by these foodborne pathogens is via fecal or cecal contamination as the semen passes through the cloaca and not from bacterial colonization of the testes and ductus deferens.