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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #88534
Title: DISTRIBUTION OF CAMPYLOBACTER JEJUNI AND CAMPYLOBACTER COLI IN PIGS IN THE UNITED STATES

Author
item MUHMED, W - TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY
item SIDDIQUE, I - TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY
item Wesley, Irene

Submitted to: Research Workers in Animal Diseases Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/11/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Campylobacter spp. are now the most common cause of human gastroenteritis both in the United States and worldwide. Several publications implicate food of animal origin as source of human campylobacterosis. Campylobacters may exist as commensals in the intestinal tract of pigs and has been known as a potential source of human infection. In order to determine the distribution of C. jejuni/coli in the swine population, fecal samples were collected from apparently healthy pigs that were in 75 farms located in 16 states. Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) Agar medium with 10% bovine blood was used for isolation of C. jejuni/coli. A multiplex PCR assay using two primer sets was used for the identification and simultaneous differentiation of C. jejuni and C. coli. Out of these isolates 95.7% were C. coli positive and 4.3% were C. jejuni positive. The recovery of C. jejuni ranged from 0 to 10%, and C. coli from 0 to 46%. Farm 21 of Iowa had the highest percent positive for C. jejuni 10% (3/30) and farm 56 of Indiana having the highest percent positive for C. coli 46% (23/50). C. jejuni/coli were not detected in 34 farms out of the 75 farms. The swine top-producing state (Iowa) gave a low incidence rate of 5.6% (43/762). The isolation percent was 8.7% in July, 4.2% in August, and 1.7% in September. The level of C. jejuni/coli in the feces tends to decrease as the cold season approaches. This preliminary data shows the low prevalence of C. jejuni and C. coli in pigs in the United States as compared with other countries.