Related Experiment Videos
Campylobacter jejuni survival in a poultry processing plant environment
Lourdes García-Sánchez1, Beatriz Melero1, Isabel Jaime1
1Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, University of Burgos, Burgos, Spain.
Food Microbiology
|April 13, 2017
Summary
Campylobacter bacteria can survive poultry plant cleaning and disinfection for at least 21 days. This persistence, identified through genetic analysis, suggests the environment is a key source of Campylobacteriosis infection, independent of flock contamination.
Area of Science:
- Food Safety
- Microbiology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Campylobacteriosis is a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis globally.
- Poultry consumption, particularly chicken, is the primary transmission route to humans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the persistence and genetic relatedness of Campylobacter spp. in a poultry processing plant environment.
- To assess survival rates before and after cleaning and disinfection procedures.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 494 environmental and meat samples from a poultry plant over one month.
- Isolation of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli.
- Application of Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) and Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST), including Whole Genome MLST.
Main Results:
- Campylobacter jejuni prevalence was 94.5%, and Campylobacter coli was 5.5%.
- Seven distinct Campylobacter jejuni genotypes were identified.
- Evidence suggests Campylobacter jejuni can persist in the environment for at least 21 days, even post-disinfection.
Conclusions:
- Highly clonal Campylobacter jejuni populations can survive harsh conditions in poultry plants.
- The processing environment acts as a persistent reservoir for Campylobacter, potentially independent of incoming flock contamination.
- This environmental persistence poses a continuous risk for Campylobacteriosis transmission.