Abstract
Campylobacter spp. are the most common bacterial pathogens associated with human gastroenteritis in industrialized countries. Contaminated chicken is the food vehicle associated with the majority of reported cases of campylobacteriosis, either by the consumption of undercooked meat or via cross- contamination of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods during the handling of contaminated raw chicken parts and carcasses. Our results indicate that cooking salt (used for seasoning) is a potential vehicle for Campylobacter spp. cross-contamination from raw chicken to lettuce, through unwashed hands after handling contaminated chicken. Cross-contamination events were observed even when the chicken skin was contaminated with low levels of Campylobacter spp. (ca. 1.48 Log CFU/g). The pathogen was recovered from seasoned lettuce samples when raw chicken was contaminated with levels ≥ 2.34 Log CFU/g. We also demonstrated that, once introduced into cooking salt, Campylobacter spp. are able to survive in a culturable state up to 4 hours. After six hours, although not detected following an enrichment period in culture medium, intact cells were observed by transmission electron microscopy. These findings reveal a “novel” indirect cross-contamination route of Campylobacter in domestic settings, and a putative contamination source to RTE foods that are seasoned with salt, that might occur if basic food hygiene practices are not adopted by consumers when preparing and cooking poultry dishes.
Highlights
Campylobacter is the major cause of bacterial diarrheal illness worldwide, and the bacterial agent that most contributes to the global burden and economic costs of foodborne illnesses [1, 2]
This study aimed to investigate the potential role of cooking salt as a vehicle of indirect cross-contamination of vegetable salads with Campylobacter spp. during handling of raw chicken
A mixture of eight Campylobacter spp. strains was used for inoculations in all assays, including six C. jejuni (DSM 4688, DFVF 1099, NCTC 11168, CJ305, C9, C21A) and two C. coli (DSM 4689 and C3) (S5 Table in S1 File)
Summary
Campylobacter is the major cause of bacterial diarrheal illness worldwide, and the bacterial agent that most contributes to the global burden and economic costs of foodborne illnesses [1, 2]. Campylobacter infections (campylobacteriosis) frequently result in self-limiting mild gastroenteritis. It may develop into a severe illness, including Guillain–Barresyndrome, reactive arthritis, bacteremia, or even death; among the very young, elderly, and immunosuppressed individuals [3]. Among the many species and subspecies assigned to the genus Campylobacter, Campylobacter jejuni (subspecies jejuni) and Campylobacter coli, account for the majority of the human cases reported [2], and in less extent, Campylobacter lari, Campylobacter fetus, and Campylobacter upsaliensis [4, 5]. Campylobacter spp. colonize the gastrointestinal tract of several animals poultry species are the most common hosts for Campylobacter and are recognized as the main source of human infection [5]. Due to its fastidious growth requirements, temperatures above 30 ̊C and micro-aerobic conditions, growth of Campylobacter is significantly limited during processing and storage of poultry meat [5, 7]
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