Campylobacter spp. in Icelandic poultry operations and human disease.
We describe the observed relationship of campylobacter in poultry operations to human cases in a closed environment. During 1999 in Iceland, domestic cases of campylobacteriosis reached peak levels at 116/100,000 and in 2000 dropped to 33/100,000. Approximately 62% of broiler carcass rinses were contaminated with Campylobacter spp. in 1999. During 2000, only 15% of the broiler flocks tested Campylobacter spp. positive. In 2000, carcasses from flocks which tested positive on the farms at 4 weeks of age were subsequently frozen prior to distribution. We suggest that public education, enhanced on-farm biological security measures, carcass freezing and other unidentified factors, such as variations in weather, contributed to the large reduction in poultry-borne campylobacteriosis. There is no immediate basis for assigning credit to any specific intervention. We continue to seek additional information to understand the decline in campylobacteriosis and to create a risk assessment model for Campylobacter spp. transmission through this well defined system.
Stern
N J
NJ
USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Poultry Microbiological Safety Research Unit, 950 College Station Rd., Athens, GA 30604-5677, USA.
Hiett
K L
KL
Alfredsson
G A
GA
Kristinsson
K G
KG
Reiersen
J
J
Hardardottir
H
H
Briem
H
H
Gunnarsson
E
E
Georgsson
F
F
Lowman
R
R
Berndtson
E
E
Lammerding
A M
AM
Paoli
G M
GM
Musgrove
M T
MT
D000003:Abattoirs; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005525:Food-Processing Industry; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012621:Seasons