Author
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Wesley, Irene |
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Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 4/19/2000 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Campylobacter is a gram-negative bacterium, which is motile by means of polar flagella. Isolation requires complex media and incubation in low oxygen environment (microaerobic). In the U.S., Campylobacter jejuni is a major cause of human bacterial foodborne enteritis with ~2.1 million cases occurring annually at a cost of $1 billion. Because of its growing recognition as a major foodborne pathogen, rapid assays have been developed for its detection. The U.S. Public Health Service has set the goal of reducing illness caused by the four major bacterial foodborne by the year 2000 from the 1987 baseline. For C. jejuni the goal is 25 cases per 100,000 population, which represents a 50% reduction. Campylobacter is a normal commensal of livestock and poultry. Thus, carcass contamination may occur during slaughter. The FSIS nationwide microbial baseline survey detected C. jejuni/coli on beef (1 to 4%), hog (32%), broiler (88.2%), and turkey (90.3%) carcasses. Recoveries were lower on ground beef (0.002%), chicken (59.8%), and turkey (25.4%) due to increased exposure to toxic oxygen which occurs during grinding. Reducing its on-farm prevalence may interrupt its transmission to humans. This presentation will explore the basic biology and epidemiology of Campylobacter. |
