Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #208230
Title: Recovery of naturally occurring Campylobacter from the circulating blood of market age commercial broilers

Author
item Richardson, Larry
item Cox Jr, Nelson
item Buhr, Richard - Jeff
item HARRISON, M - UGA, DEPT OF FOOD SCI

Submitted to: Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/27/2007
Publication Date: 7/8/2007
Citation: Richardson, L.J., Cox Jr, N.A., Buhr, R.J., Harrison, M.A. 2007. Recovery of naturally occurring Campylobacter from the circulating blood of market age commercial broilers. Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstract. 86(S1):90-91.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Campylobacter species have recently been recovered from several primary and secondary lymphoid tissues and internally from the spleen of poultry. The objective of this study was to determine whether naturally occurring Campylobacter can be recovered from the circulating blood of market age commercial broilers utilizing aseptic techniques. Broilers (n=100) were acquired from two a commercial processing facility’s live haul area on 10 separate days. The feathers where removed from the ventral surface of the humerous and alcohol was sprayed on the skin, then Betadine was applied to the area and allowed to sit for 1 minute before vena-puncture (brachial vein) with a sterile needle. Five mL of circulating blood was collected and added to 45 mL of Bolton’s broth without antibiotics and incubated at 42 C in microareophilic conditions for 48 h and then streaked onto Campy-Cefex plates. For flockslocks 9 and 10, direct plating onto aerobic plate count agar was also performed to verifyskin swabs were direct plated onto aerobic plate count agar was performed in addition to the above in order to verify that the skin had been disinfected. Standard laboratory Campylobacter procedures for Campylobacter were performed on ceca contents collected from all broilers sampled. Campylobacter were not recovered from the blood (0/60) nor the ceca (0/60) from flocks 1-4, 6, or 7. From flocks 5 and 8-10, Campylobacter were recovered from the blood (11/40) and the ceca (28/40). From aerobic plate counts performed in flocks 9 and 10, no growth was observed suggesting that the method utilized results in aseptic sampling of the circulating blood. With Campylobacter being recovered from the circulating blood, this provides insight to a possible means by which this organism is able to rapidly disseminate to tissues within the bird and suggests that Campylobacter is not strictly limited to the digestive tract. Further research will determine whether Campylobacter resides in the blood for prolonged periods of time or if the organism’s presence is merely transitory.