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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 #181022
Title: PREVALENCE OF ARCOBACTER IN COMMERCIAL TURKEY PRODUCTION

Author
item ANDERSEN, MICHELLE
item WESLEY, IRENE
item MURAOKA, WAYNE
item NESTOR, EMILY
item BOUCHARD, CHRISTOPHER - 3625-30-15

Submitted to: Campylobacter Helicobacter and Related Organisms International Workshop
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/4/2005
Publication Date: 9/4/2005
Citation: Andersen, M.M., Wesley, I.V., Muraoka, W.T., Nestor, E.J., Bouchard, C.T. 2005. Prevalence of Arcobacter in commercial turkey production [abstract]. International Workshop on Campylobacter, Helicobacter, and Related Organisms. p. 101.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Many protocols have been developed to determine the incidence of Arcobacter in livestock and their products, none of which are clearly defined for use in turkeys. Six Midwestern commercial turkey farms were selected for sampling in 2003 to determine the best protocol for the isolation as well as to estimate the prevalence of Arcobacter in live commercial turkeys. A questionnaire was used to identify diverse managerial strategies utilized by individual producers. Initially, cloacal (n = 298) and feather swabs (n = 75), cecal (n = 70), and crop (n = 50) contents, and drinker water (n = 46) and environmental (n = 25) samples were evaluated in the summer 2003 using two different isolation protocols. The best protocol was then used to evaluate the prevalence of Arcobacter in the same region during the early spring and summer of 2004. Multiplex-PCR was used to identify all Arcobacter species and to differentiate Arcobacter butzleri. The two protocols were comparable in their detection rates; EMJH-P80 and CVA isolated 40/564 positive samples (7.09%), while Arcobacter enrichment broth and selective agar recovered Arcobacter in 23/489 samples (4.70%). EMJH-P80 recovered Arcobacter more frequently, but the selectivity of the modified Arcobacter agar facilitated the identification of Arcobacter colonies. The prevalence of Arcobacter detected by cloacal swab (6/298) and cecal contents (3/145) suggests that Arcobacter colonizes the intestinal tract at very low levels. The overall prevalence of Arcobacter in the drinker water decreased from 63.04% (29/46) in the summer of 2003 to 24.66% (18/73) in the spring of 2004. There was also a shift in the species of Arcobacter during this time period. The prevalence levels of Arcobacter in the water appears to be related to the chlorination level present in the drinker water.