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Title: CAMPYLOBACTER RECOVERY FROM THE REPRODUCTIVE TRACT OF COMMERCIAL BROILER BREEDER HENS

Author
item Buhr, Richard - Jeff
item Cox Jr, Nelson
item Stern, Norman
item WILSON, J - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item Hiett, Kelli

Submitted to: Campylobacter Helicobacter and Related Organisms International Workshop
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/26/2001
Publication Date: 9/1/2001
Citation: BUHR, R.J., COX JR, N.A., STERN, N.J., WILSON, J.L., HIETT, K.L. CAMPYLOBACTER RECOVERY FROM THE REPRODUCTIVE TRACT OF COMMERCIAL BROILER BREEDER HENS. CAMPYLOBACTER HELICOBACTER AND RELATED ORGANISMS INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP. 2001.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Our initial investigations detected the presence of Campylobacter within segments of the reproductive tract of broiler breeder hens from a feces- positive university flock. To determine the presence in commercial flocks, samples were collected from two flocks at 61 and 62 weeks of age that had been determined to be feces-positive. Hens were cooped at the farm, transported to the pilot processing plant, and held over night. To minimize feather-fecal contamination of samples, hens were partially processed thru defeathering. The reproductive tracts were aseptically excised and separated into five segments (magnum, isthmus, shell gland, vagina, and cloaca) per hen. Each segment was placed into a sterile plastic bag and suspended 1:3 (w/v) in Bolton's enrichment broth. Samples were stomached for 1 minute and serial dilutions were plated (0.1 mL) onto Campy-Cefex plates. The plates were incubated at 42 C for 24 hours in a microaerobic environment. The incidence of Campylobacter detection appears to be related to the proximity of the reproductive tract segment to the cloaca, higher incidence for closer segments. Campylobacter was detected from all cloaca samples from the commercial hens 12/12, and in high numbers. Campylobacter was detected from reproductive tract segments as follows; the vagina 10/12 (5 required enrichment); the shell gland 7/12, (4 required enrichment); the isthmus 2/12; and the magnum 4/12, (3 required enrichment). Campylobacter was detected in 92% of the reproductive tracts collected from commercial hens (at 61 and 62 weeks of age). The presence of Campylobacter within the broiler breeder hen's reproductive tract could enable vertical transmission of Campylobacter from the hen to the chick.