Abstract
Poultry and poultry products are commonly considered as the major vehicle of Campylobacter infection in humans worldwide. To reduce the number of human cases, the epidemiology of Campylobacter in poultry must be better understood. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine the distribution and genetic relatedness of Campylobacter in the Thai chicken production industry. During June to October 2012, entire broiler production processes (i.e., breeder flock, hatchery, broiler farm and slaughterhouse) of five broiler production chains were investigated chronologically. Representative isolates of C. jejuni from each production stage were characterized by flaA SVR sequencing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Amongst 311 selected isolates, 29 flaA SVR alleles and 17 sequence types (STs) were identified. The common clonal complexes (CCs) found in this study were CC-45, CC-353, CC-354 and CC-574. C. jejuni isolated from breeders were distantly related to those isolated from broilers and chicken carcasses, while C. jejuni isolates from the slaughterhouse environment and meat products were similar to those isolated from broiler flocks. Genotypic identification of C. jejuni in slaughterhouses indicated that broilers were the main source of Campylobacter contamination of chicken meat during processing. To effectively reduce Campylobacter in poultry meat products, control and prevention strategies should be aimed at both farm and slaughterhouse levels.
Highlights
Campylobacteriosis is one of the most prevalent bacterial gastrointestinal diseases in humans worldwide, in developed countries [1, 2]
Isolates obtained from breeder flocks were mainly identified as C. coli
The prevalence of Campylobacter in the poultry production chain has been widely investigated in many countries
Summary
Campylobacteriosis is one of the most prevalent bacterial gastrointestinal diseases in humans worldwide, in developed countries [1, 2]. Campylobacter jejuni is the most frequent species associated with human infection, followed by C. coli. Consumption and preparation of poultry meat are widely referred as the risk factors associated with Campylobacter infection in humans. According to the Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Biological Hazards [5], the chicken reservoir was estimated to be responsible for 50–80 percent of human cases. To demonstrate the relationship between Campylobacter isolated from humans and poultry, epidemiological investigations using molecular techniques were conducted [6,7,8]. Control of Campylobacter at a significant source, like poultry meat, is the most effective strategy to reduce the prevalence of Campylobacter infection in humans
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