Broilers do not play a dominant role in the Campylobacter fetus contamination of humans.
Campylobacter fetus causes severe infections in humans and can be isolated from various mammals and reptiles. However, although poultry are considered to be the main reservoir of Campylobacter jejuni, little is known about the presence of C. fetus in poultry. Thus, specific pathogen-free chickens were experimentally inoculated with a mixture of either three non-thermotolerant or four thermotolerant human strains of C. fetus. Faecal samples were regularly sampled after inoculation and caeca and intestines were collected 21 or 40 days after inoculation. All samples were analysed for the presence of Campylobacter using culture techniques. No Campylobacter could be re-isolated. This result strongly suggests that broilers do not play an important part in the C. fetus contamination of humans.
Kempf
Isabelle
I
AFSSA (French Agency for Food Safety), Mycoplasmology Bacteriology Unit, BP 53, F-22440 Ploufragan, France.
Dufour-Gesbert
Fabienne
F
AFSSA (French Agency for Food Safety), Mycoplasmology Bacteriology Unit, BP 53, F-22440 Ploufragan, France.
Hellard
Gwenaelle
G
AFSSA (French Agency for Food Safety), Mycoplasmology Bacteriology Unit, BP 53, F-22440 Ploufragan, France.
Prouzet-Mauléon
Valérie
V
Centre National de Référence des Campylobacters et Helicobacters, Laboratoire de Bactériologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, Place Amélie Raba-Léon, 33076 Bordeaux cedex, France.
Mégraud
Francis
F
Centre National de Référence des Campylobacters et Helicobacters, Laboratoire de Bactériologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, Place Amélie Raba-Léon, 33076 Bordeaux cedex, France.
D000818:Animals; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission*; D002168:Campylobacter fetus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002432:Cecum / Q000382:microbiology; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms