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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Food Safety and Enteric Pathogens Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #170317
Title: PREVALENCE OF CAMPYLOBACTER SPP. IN THE CROP AND CECA OF MARKET TURKEYS PRE- AND POST-TRANSPORT

Author
item KOSKI, J - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item BOUCHARD, CHRISTOPHER
item WESLEY, IRENE
item MURAOKA, WAYNE
item TRAMPEL, D - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Food Safety Consortium Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/3/2004
Publication Date: 10/3/2004
Citation: Koski, J., Bouchard, C.T., Wesley, I.V., Muraoka, W.T., Trampel, D. 2004. Prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in the crop and ceca of market turkeys pre- and post-transport [abstract]. In: The Food Safety Consortium Annual Meeting, October 3-5, 2004, Ames, Iowa. 2004 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: GOAL: Campylobacter jejuni is the #1 cause of human bacterial enteritis with consumption and improper handling of contaminated undercooked poultry regarded as major risk factors. Although transport stress has been reported to impact the distribution of Campylobacter in broilers, no comparable studies have been published for turkeys. To determine the impact of transport stress on the dynamics of intestinal colonization, we enumerated Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in the crop and ceca of market-weight turkeys on-farm within 24 hours of slaughter (Time 1) and in viscera of birds from this same flock immediately after evisceration at the processing plant (Time 2). METHODS: Three methods were evaluated. Ten-fold serial dilutions of cecal and crop samples were plated in duplicate onto Campy-Line agar (CLA), Campy-Cefex agar (CCA), and SimPlates**Registered. Presumptive Campylobacter colonies were counted then confirmed with a PCR assay (n = 3 from each set of plates). RESULTS: Although CLA and CCA were comparable in plate counts of presumptive Campylobacters, CCA had a higher specificity based on PCR confirmation. Initial trials using the SimPlate**Registered method for enumeration gave equivocal results due to the absence of an internal fluorescent control. However, the specificity of the SimPlate**Registered warrants additional study. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in either the prevalence or numbers (CFU/g) of Campylobacter at Time 1 and Time 2.