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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #347447
Research Project: Production and Processing Intervention Strategies for Poultry Associated Foodborne Pathogens

Location: Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit

Title: Formulation of a selective medium for aerobic growth of Campylobacter

Author
item Hinton Jr, Arthur
item Cox Jr, Nelson

Submitted to: International Poultry Scientific Forum
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/17/2017
Publication Date: 1/29/2018
Citation: Hinton Jr, A., Cox Jr, N.A. 2018. Formulation of a selective medium for aerobic growth of Campylobacter. International Poultry Scientific Forum. 97(E-Suppl.1) pg. 327.

Interpretive Summary: none

Technical Abstract: A medium that can be used to aerobically culture Campylobacter has recently been described. However, since the medium is non-selective, it cannot be used to isolate this pathogen from samples containing other bacteria. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the effect of supplementing the medium with antibiotic mixtures on the growth of Campylobacter and other bacteria. Basal medium containing beef extract, 50 g; tryptose, 10 g; soluble starch, 10 g; sodium lactate, 3.0 g; and agar, 0.5 g in 900 ml of distilled water was dispensed in 9 ml aliquots in screw capped test tubes and autoclaved. One ml of 1.5% sterile sodium bicarbonate was added to the cooled medium. The basal medium was supplemented with Bolton, Campy-Cefex, or Skirrow antibiotic mixtures. The ability of Campylobacter fetus, Campylobacter coli, and Campylobacter jejuni to grow aerobically in basal medium and in supplemented medium was determined. Separate 10 ml aliquots of media in culture flasks were inoculated with each isolate, incubated aerobically at 37C for 48 h, then Campylobacter were enumerated on blood agar with Blaser-Wang antibiotic mixture with microaerobic incubation. Next, the ability of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella Kentucky to grow in basal and supplemented media was determined. After incubation, E. faecalis was enumerated on m-Enterococcus agar, E. coli on Levine EMB agar, L. monocytogenes on Listeria Selective Agar, and Salmonella Kentucky on XLT4 agar. Results indicated that after aerobic incubation there was significant (p < 0.05) growth of all Campylobacter isolates in basal media and in media supplemented with antibiotic mixtures, except for C. coli in the Skirrow supplement. There was also significant growth of all other bacterial isolates in basal medium, significant growth of E. coli and Salmonella Kentucky in the Skirrow supplemented medium and growth of E. faecalis in the Cefex supplemented medium. There was no significant growth of any of these bacteria in Bolton supplemented medium. Findings indicate that basal medium supplemented with the Bolton mixture is the best formulation for a selective medium for using aerobic incubation to isolate Campylobacter from samples containing other bacteria.