Occurrence of Thermophilic Campylobacter spp. in Foods and Waters in Northern Ireland

Abstract

Campylobacter spp. are the most common cause of acute bacterial enteritis both in Northern Ireland and Britain.1 In N. Ireland, there has been a gradual increase in the number of reported cases since 1981 (NICDR., 1995). Campylobacters are inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract of several domestic and pet animals including poultry,13 cows,10 pigs12 and frequently occur in the environment, including untreated water sources14 and other sources related to animal production.15 Therefore animals and animal products represent a large reservoir of the organisms for infection in man. Although campylobacters are the most common cause of acute bacterial enteritis, their routes of infection and transmission to man are still not fully understood. Consequently this study was carried out in order to establish the incidence of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. in raw poultry, commercially available ready-to-eat foodstuffs, drinking water and other water sources of concern to public health in Northern Ireland.