Serological methods and selective agars to enumerate Campylobacter from broiler carcasses: data from inter- and intralaboratory analyses.
Routine analytical means to estimate Campylobacter numbers per milliliter of carcass rinses are needed in high-sample-throughput poultry laboratories. We compared three serological confirmatory tests that were amenable to such a setting when used in conjunction with Campy-Line and Campy-Cefex Campylobacter selective agars. Pre- and post-chlorinated chiller carcass rinse samples were obtained and held on ice, then analyzed 24 h later in two separate laboratories. Presumptive counts on both pre- and postchiller samples from between laboratories on individual agars and between both agars were highly correlated. Agreement among the three serological tests was nearly complete. The use of a premeasured and dried latex anti-Campylobacter antibody agglutination test format was superior to that of either a liquid latex agglutination format or a direct phosphate-buffer microscopic technique in terms of practicality as was the inclusion of an unarmed latex control to detect auto agglutination. A routine procedure for Campylobacter level estimation was suggested. This procedure, when used in conjunction with a serological confirmatory step, should provide processors with a means to assess reductions in numbers per milliliter of carcass rinses versus strictly presence-absence testing.
Siragusa
Gregory R
GR
Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Russell Research Center, Athens, Georgia 30605, USA. siragusa@saa.ars.usda.gov
Line
John E
JE
Brooks
Leonard L
LL
Hutchinson
Tina
T
Laster
Joel D
JD
Apple
Robert O
RO
D000362:Agar / Q000737:chemistry*; D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial / Q000379:methods*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D005516:Food Microbiology; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests; D015995:Prevalence
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D003470:Culture Media; D000362:Agar