ARS | Publication request: CECAL COLONIZATION OF CHICKS BY PORCINE STRAINS OF CAMPYLOBACTER COLI

Submitted to: Avian Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: November 28, 2001
Publication Date: May 1, 2002

Interpretive Summary: Wild and domesticated animals are sources of the bacteria that cause human food borne illness. Campylobacteriosis is a very frequent type of human diarrheal disease. There are several possible animal sources from which humans may contract the disease, however, little is known about the movement of Campylobacter between various animal species. In this work, we edemonstrated that Campylobacter obtained from swine were fully able to infect chickens. We speculate that Campylobacter are introduced into swine rearing facilities and into poultry facilities by wild birds.

Technical Abstract: Ten genotypically distinct strains of C. coli were isolated from a swine production facility. These porcine isolates were then orally inoculated into day-of-hatch leghorn chicks and it was determined that C. coli of swine origin were excellent colonizers of the chick cecum. C. coli recovered from inoculated chickens were genotypically identical to the challenge strain. The absence of host-specificity suggests a possible movement of strains among swine, field animals and birds, and poultry houses.