Enteropathogenic bacteria in frozen chicken.
Eighty-two samples of frozen chicken from retail stores were examined for the presence of Campylobacter, Yersinia enterocolitica, and salmonellae. Aerobic plate counts and numbers of coliform bacteria at 37 degrees C were determined. Campylobacter fetus subsp. jejuni was found in 22% of the samples, Y. enterocolitica was found in 24.5% and Salmonella typhimurium was found in one sample (1.2%). The isolated strains of Y. enterocolitica belonged to serotypes 4, 5b, 6, and 8. Aerobic plate counts and numbers of coliform bacteria at 37 degrees C were not found to be noticeably higher in samples containing pathogens than in pathogen-free samples. This investigation showed that chicken does contain other pathogenic bacteria than salmonellae. Campylobacter and Y. enterocolitica were isolated in much higher frequencies than Salmonella.
D000818:Animals; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002168:Campylobacter fetus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002645:Chickens; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005615:Freezing; D008460:Meat; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015007:Yersinia / Q000302:isolation & purification*