ARS | Publication request: INABILITY OF CAMPYLOBACTER JEJUNI EXHIBITING DEFECTIVE ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSRESPONSES TO COLONIZE THE CECA OF NEWLY HATCHED CHICKS.

Submitted to: Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: August 12, 1998
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Experiments were conducted to evaluate the ability of Campylobacter jejuni with defective environmental stress responses to colonize the ceca of newly hatched chicks. Day-of-hatch chicks were orally challenged with either a parental strain (wild-type), which is a human clinical isolate, or a derivative strain differing only in its response to environmental stresses. The exact genetic defect is known. One week after challenge the birds were humanely euthanized and the C. jejuni concentration present in their ceca was determined by standard microbiological serial dilution methods. The limit of detection was 100 colony forming units (CFUs) per gram of cecal contents. C. jejuni was recovered from all birds challenged with the parental strain. The concentration approached 1 billion CFUs per gram of cecal contents. This concentration can occur after challenge with as few as 100 CFUs. In contrast we were unable to recover the defective C. jejuni from birds even when challenge doses of 1 million CFUs were employed. These results reveal the importance of environmental stress responses as colonization factors and further our understanding of the role of bacterial factors in cecal colonization by potential foodborne disease organisms.