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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #162491
Title: ENUMERATION OF CAMPYLOBACTER IN BROILER CARCASSES

Author
item DECESARE, A - U OF BOLOGNA, ITALY
item BONDIOLI, V - U OF BOLOGNA, ITALY
item Stern, Norman
item MANFREDA, G - U OF BOLOGNA, ITALY

Submitted to: World Poultry Science Association Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2003
Publication Date: 9/6/2003
Citation: Decesare, A., Bondioli, V., Stern, N.J., Manfreda, G. 2003. Enumeration of Campylobacter in broiler carcasses. Journal of Food Protection. 66:1557-1563.

Interpretive Summary: We wished to determine the levels of Campylobacter associated with commercial poultry rinses in Italy. Using a previously published procedure, 20 processed carcasses were rinsed per flock and levels of Campylobacter were estimated. For the 3 monthly averages (October through December 2003), we observed mean values of approximately 170,000, 1,200,000, 67,000 cells of Campylobacter/carcass. Levels of the organism in carcass rinses can be quantified to determine levels of public exposure.

Technical Abstract: Campylobacter is the leading cause of foodborne disease worldwide, but data are incomplete in Italy. Campylobacter transmission through poultry products has also been well documented. We sampled 20 fully-processed broiler chicken carcasses per flock at monthly intervals. Depending on the age of the flock, either 200 or 300 ml of rinse was used. The rinse was serially diluted and plated onto Campy-Cefex agar and was incubated under microaerotic atmosphere at 42 C for 48 hours. Characteristic motility and microscopical morphology were considered as presumptive, while a PCR assay was used for confirmation. The levels varied between flocks, but generally ranged from ~5 Log10 to ~6 Log10 per carcass. Additional samples through the year are anticipated to provide a more complete picture of the distribution of the organism in Italian poultry.