The occurrence of Campylobacter jejuni in dog faeces from a public park

Dog faeces collected from a public park were cultured on selective media for Campylobacter spp. Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from 12 (4.6%) of 260 specimens. In contrast Salmonella spp. were found in only three (1.2%). Six of the 12 isolates were nalidixic acid-resistant thermophilic campylobacters (NARTC), whereas during the same period of study none were found among human isolates. Most of the campylobacter positive faeces were found during June and July. Dog faeces deposited in public places constitute only a small potential source of infection by this organism.