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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Food Safety and Enteric Pathogens Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #198010
Title: PREVALENCE OF ARCOBACTER IN COMMERCIAL TURKEY PRODUCTION

Author
item ANDERSEN, MICHELLE - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item NESTOR, EMILY - 3625-30-15
item Wesley, Irene
item TRAMPEL, DARRELL - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Electronic Publication
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/16/2006
Publication Date: 5/25/2006
Citation: Andersen, M., Nestor, E., Wesley, I.V., Trampel, D.W. 2006. Prevalence of Arcobacter in commercial turkey production. Poultry Science Day, May 25, 2006, Ames, Iowa. 2006 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The prevalence of Arcobacter in live turkeys was determined for six Midwestern commercial flocks. In the first study (summer 2003), cloacal (n = 298) and feather swabs (n = 75), cecal (n = 70), and crop (n = 50) contents, drinker water (n = 46), and environmental (n = 25) samples were monitored. In the second study (spring 2004), ceca (n = 75), crops (n = 75), and water (n = 73) were evaluated. Carcasses (n = 150) and environmental swabs of the grow-out house (n = 50) were evaluated in the third study (summer 2004). Initially, EMJH-P80 and CVA isolated Arcobacter from 7.1% (40 of 564) of samples, while Arcobacter enrichment broth and selective agar recovered the microbe in 4.7% of samples (23 of 489 samples). Although EMJH-P80 coupled with CVA yielded Arcobacter more frequently, the selectivity of the modified Arcobacter agar enhanced the recognition of Arcobacter colonies. A multiplex PCR was used to identify all Arcobacter species and to differentiate Arcobacter butzleri. The prevalence of Arcobacter detected in cloacal swab (2.0%, 6 of 298 samples) and cecal contents (2.1%, 3 of 145 samples) suggest that Arcobacter infrequently colonizes the intestinal tract. The overall prevalence of Arcobacter in drinker water decreased from 67% (31 of 46 samples) in the summer of 2003 to 24.7% (18 of 73 samples) during resampling in the spring of 2004 and was inversely related to the chlorination level. Despite its low prevalence in live turkeys, Arcobacter spp. was isolated from 93% of carcass swabs (139 of 150 samples).