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Title: CAMPYLOBACTER SPP. AND YERSINIA ENTEROCOLITICA IN GROWING PIGS IN IOWA AND NORTH CAROLINA: A PILOT STUDY

Author
item Wesley, Irene
item MCKEAN, J - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item TURKSON, P - NORTH CAROLINA ST UNIV
item DAVIES, P - NORTH CAROLINA ST UNIV
item Johnson, Scott
item PROESCHOLDT, T - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item BERAN, G - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Food Safety Consortium Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/25/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli both cause human enteritis and are commonly present in livestock. Campylobacter coli, a normal inhabitant of the pig intestine, is found on pork products, and causes human bacterial enteritis. Less frequently pigs and pork may harbor C. jejuni. Healthy pigs harbor pathogenic strains of Yersinia enterocolitica and are regarded as a significant reservoir for human infection Yersinia enterocolitica has been incriminated in foodborne outbreaks associated with consumption of pork, including chitterlings. The purpose of this pilot study was to track the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. and Y. enterocolitica in pigs from the nursery to slaughter. The prevalence of Campylobacter spp. and Yersinia entercolitica was determined in cohorts of growing pigs on eight swine farms in Iowa and North Carolina. Approximately 60 pigs from each site were periodically sampled from the nursery to slaughter. Both all in/all out and continuous flow production systems were monitored. Overall, when results from the two states are combined, Campylobacter coli was found in the nursery (90%), grower (92.8%) and finisher (90.9%) stages. At slaughter, C. coli was detected overall on 17.1% of carcasses. For Iowa, 83% of ileocecal lymph nodes yielded Campylobacter. In contrast, Y. enterocolitica was not found in either rectal or tonsilar swabs or in carcass swabs collected from Iowa hogs. Y. enterocolitica was detected in 8.8% (5 of 57) of North Carolina hogs sampled on one occasion; no isolations were made from carcass swabs at slaughter.