Study of thermophilic campylobacter contamination of a broiler batch at slaughter

Alves, LuanaVoss-Rech, DaianeSantiago Silva, Virgíniados Santos Pozza, JeniferGasparetto, AdrianaSilveira Luiz Vaz, Clarissa

Background: Broilers are a reservoir of Campylobacter (C.), an important causal agent of gastroenteritis mostly associated to handling and consumption of broiler meat. The majority of broiler fl ocks are colonized by thermophilic Campylobacter at the slaughter age, and carcasses might be contaminated throughout the processing line. Since surveillance is crucial to evaluate and improve approaches to reduce Campylobacter spread during broiler processing, a cross-sectional study was carried out to detect the level of Campylobacter contamination in a broiler at slaughter.Materials, Methods & Results: Cloacal swabs, caeca and whole carcasses were taken from a broiler fl ock slaughtered in Southern Brazil. Samples were individually inoculated in Bolton Broth (BB) and incubated at 41.5C in a microaerobic atmosphere for 44 h, when the enriched culture was inoculated onto modifi ed Charcoal Cefoperazone Deoxycholate Agar (mCCDA) and Campy-Cefex Agar (CCA) plates. All plates were incubated at 41.5C in the microaerobic atmosphere for 44 h. Aliquots of each enriched BB were collected and submitted to polymerase chain reaction (PCR), while the genetic relatedness of isolates was analyzed by pulsed-fi eld gel electrophoresis (PFGE). A total of 3 (9.4%) cloacal swabs were positive for C. jejuni. No Campylobacter was isolated from any of the caecal contents or broiler carcasses analyzed.

1. PFGE
2. ienichment culture
3. broiler
4. PCR
5. broiler carcass
6. Campylobacter