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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 #372626

Research Project: Production and Processing Intervention Strategies for Poultry Associated Foodborne Pathogens

Location: Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit

Title: Growth of Campylobacter spp. in primary containers incubated aerobically

Author
item Hinton Jr, Arthur
item Cox Jr, Nelson
item LEVICAN, ARTURO - Pontifical Catholic University Of Valparaiso

Submitted to: International Poultry Scientific Forum
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/2/2019
Publication Date: 1/27/2020
Citation: Hinton Jr, A., Cox Jr, N.A., Levican, A. 2020. Growth of Campylobacter spp. in primary containers incubated aerobically [abstract]. International Poultry Scientific Forum. p.68.

Interpretive Summary: none

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to examine the growth Campylobacter spp. in primary containers incubated in aerobic atmospheres. Ten ml of media composed of (g/L) beef extract, 50; tryptose, 10; soluble starch, 10; sodium bicarbonate, 5.0; sodium lactate, 3.0; agar, 0.5 was inoculated with 104 cfu/ml of Campylobacter coli ATCC® 33559, Campylobacter fetus ATCC® 27374, Campylobacter jejuni ATCC® 33560, or Campylobacter lari ATCC® 35221. The inoculated media was transferred to 25 ml, 12.5 cm2 culture flasks fitted with either a plug-sealed cap, a vented cap, or a vented cap covered with Parafilm “M” laboratory film. Containers were incubated aerobically at 37C for 48 h. The number of cfu/ml of Campylobacter in the media after incubation was enumerated by plating serial dilutions of the media on Blood Agar Base #2 supplemented with 7.0% horse blood and Blaser-Wang antibiotic mixture. The inoculated plates were incubated microaerobically in BD GasPak jars with BD GasPak EZ Campy Container System sachets at 37C for 48 h. The numbers of cfu/ml recovered were converted to log10, and significant differences were determined using GraphPad InStat statistical software. Results indicated that there was no significant (p < 0.05) difference in the number of either Campylobacter spp. recovered after culturing in the flasks with plug-sealed caps or in flasks with vented caps covered with Parafilm laboratory film. During incubation there was a 4-5 log increase in the number of C. coli, C. fetus, C. jejuni, and C. lari in media incubated in the plug-sealed or the Parafilm covered flasks; however, no Campylobacter were recovered from flasks with vented caps that were not covered with Parafilm. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the growth between the different species cultured in same type of container. Conclusions indicate that this medium can support the growth of Campylobacter species in containers that are sealed to prevent exposure to aerobic atmospheres; however, the pathogen is unable to grow in containers that do not prevent exposure to normal breathing air. These findings will be used to refine methods for growing Campylobacter in primary containers incubated aerobically without generating an artificial, microaerobic atmospheres in secondary containers.