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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Environmental Microbial & Food Safety Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #316954
Title: Prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in bulk tank milk and filters from US dairies

Author
item DEL COLLO, LAURA - Orise Fellow
item Lefcourt, Alan
item BISWAS, DEBABRATA - University Of Maryland
item LOMBARD, JASON - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item KRISTENSEN, CAMILLA - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item FOSSLERCHARLES - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item Van Kessel, Jo Ann

Submitted to: BARC Poster Day
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/6/2015
Publication Date: 5/20/2015
Citation: Del Collo, L., Lefcourt, A.M., Biswas, D., Lombard, J., Kristensen, C., Fosslercharles, Van Kessel, J.S. 2015. Prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in bulk tank milk and filters from U.S. dairies. BARC Poster Day.

Interpretive Summary: Campylobacter spp. is an important zoonotic microaerophilic bacterial pathogen that caused the majority of US outbreaks associated with nonpasteurized milk from 2007 to 2012. Bulk tank milk and milk filter samples were collected from 236 dairy operations in 17 top dairy states from March through July 2014 as part of the National Animal Health Monitoring System’s Dairy 2014 study. A real-time PCR method was used to determine the presence of pathogenic species (C. jejuni, coli and lari) in enrichments and to confirm isolates. PCR indicated the presence of pathogenic Campylobacter spp. in enrichments from 34.75% of operations, while isolates were obtained from 18.64% of operations. Based on multiplex PCR analysis, 44 (91.67%) of the Campylobacter isolates were C. jejuni, 3 were C. lari, and 1 was identified as C. coli. Resistance to tetracycline was observed in 63.16% of tested C. jejuni isolates. Multidrug resistance was also observed in 9 C. jejuni isolates. This first national survey of Campylobacter spp. in bulk tank milk and milk filters suggests that pathogenic Campylobacter spp. are common on US dairies and, therefore, are a continued risk for foodborne disease outbreaks.

Technical Abstract: Campylobacter spp. is an important zoonotic microaerophilic bacterial pathogen that caused the majority of US outbreaks associated with nonpasteurized milk from 2007 to 2012. Bulk tank milk and milk filter samples were collected from 236 dairy operations in 17 top dairy states from March through July 2014 as part of the National Animal Health Monitoring System’s Dairy 2014 study. Overall, 236 bulk tank samples and 398 milk filter samples were collected. Bulk tank and milk filter pairs were collected from 233 operations, and only bulk tank samples were collected from 3 operations. Bulk tank milk and buffered peptone water extracts of milk filters were enriched in Bolton Broth and struck onto mCCDA plates. A real-time PCR method was used to determine the presence of pathogenic species (C. jejuni, coli and lari) in enrichments and to confirm isolates. PCR indicated the presence of pathogenic Campylobacter spp. in enrichments from 34.75% of operations, while isolates were obtained from 18.64% of operations. Based on multiplex PCR analysis, 44 (91.67%) of the Campylobacter isolates were C. jejuni, 3 were C. lari, and 1 was identified as C. coli. Resistance to tetracycline was observed in 63.16% of tested C. jejuni isolates. Multidrug resistance was also observed in 9 C. jejuni isolates. This first national survey of Campylobacter spp. in bulk tank milk and milk filters suggests that pathogenic Campylobacter spp. are common on US dairies and, therefore, are a continued risk for foodborne disease outbreaks.