A survey of Campylobacter in animals

A survey of Campylobacter species in the faeces or rectal contents of domestic animals was carried out using direct and enrichment culture methods. Campylobacters were isolated from 259 (31%) of 846 faecal specimens. The highest isolation rate was found in pigs (66%); lower rates were found in cattle (24%) and sheep (22%). In pigs all the isolates were C. coli, in sheep and cattle about 75% were C. jejuni. Only five isolations of C. fetus subsp. fetus were made, all from cattle. More pigs with diarrhoea had C. coli in their faeces than healthy pigs (77% vs 47%), but such a clear difference in isolation rate between sick and healthy animals was not seen in cattle or sheep. The enrichment method increased the total isolation rate of C. jejuni and C. coli by 33%, but for cattle specimens it increased it by 69% (from 6.5% to 21%). However, the enrichment method failed to detect 16% of positive specimens (mainly C. coli), so direct and enrichment methods should be used for the culture of campylobacters from animal faeces. The results show that cattle, sheep and pigs constitute a large potential source of campylobacter infection for man.