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Title: ATTACHMENT OF CAMPYLOBACTER AND SALMONELLA TO AVIAN SPERMATOZOA

Author
item VIZZIER-THAXTON, Y - MISSISSIPPI STATE U
item Cox Jr, Nelson
item Richardson, Larry
item Buhr, Richard - Jeff
item MCDANIEL, C - MISSISSIPPI STATE U
item Cosby, Douglas
item WILSON, J - UNIV OF GEORGIA
item Bourassa, Dianna
item ARD, M - UNIV OF GEORGIA

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/5/2005
Publication Date: 4/1/2006
Citation: Vizzier-Thaxton, Y., Cox Jr, N.A., Richardson, L.J., Buhr, R.J., Mcdaniel, C.D., Cosby, D.E., Wilson, J.L., Bourassa, D.V., Ard, M.B. 2006. Attachment of campylobacter and salmonella to avian spermatozoa. Poultry Science. 85:(4)619-624.

Interpretive Summary: Campylobacter and Salmonella are foodborne pathogens associated with poultry. Little is known about the level and persistence of these organisms in the spermatozoa of broiler breeder roosters. In this study, we found that Campylobacter and Salmonella can attach to the spermatozoa of chicken sperm. The attachment of Campylobacter and Salmonella to spermatozoa, suggest that this could be a route for colonization of the breeder hen and infecting fertile hatching eggs.

Technical Abstract: While it has been demonstrated that vertical transmission of both Salmonella and Campylobacter can occur, the mechanism of this transmission is unclear. Previously negative broiler breeder flocks have been reported to become positive with the introduction of “spike” roosters at 45 wk of age. To determine if rooster semen is a possible source of transmission to hens for colonization, we evaluated the association of both Campylobacter and Salmonella spp., to segments (head, mid-piece and tail) of individual spermatozoa after artificial inoculation. Either Campylobacter jejuni (in 0.85% saline) or three strains of Salmonella (Typhimurium, Heidelberg and Montevideo) were added to freshly collected aliquots of pooled semen from roosters housed in individual cages. Each of the semen-bacteria suspensions were incubated 1h at room temperature Samples were fixed, centrifuged, rinsed and individual aliquot samples were placed on coverslips and allowed to settle overnight in a wet chamber. Samples were dehydrated in an ethanol gradient, critical point dried, mounted, sputter coated and viewed with a JSM-5800 Scanning Electron Microscope. Salmonella were found associated with all three segments (head, mid-piece and tail) of the spermatozoa apparently and equally distributed. Campylobacter jejuni was mainly associated with the mid-piece and tail segments, with few located on the head segment.