title: Prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in poultry and poultry products for sale on the Bulgarian retail market.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Campylobacter spp. in poultry and poultry products available for the consumers at retail markets in Bulgaria. Samples (n = 210) of poultry carcasses and poultry products for sale at the retail market in Bulgaria were analysed for the presence of Campylobacter spp., of these 35 frozen whole carcasses, 135 chilled poultry cuts (45 wing cuts, 45 thigh cuts and 45 fillet) and 40 thermally treated (ready-to-eat) poultry products. The results obtained showed that 35.2% of the frozen poultry carcasses for sale in the markets were Campylobacter contaminated. In the chilled poultry cuts Campylobacter was isolated at the highest percentage in wing- and thigh cuts, 91.1% and 88.9%, respectively. The fillet samples were contaminated by Campylobacter in 48.9% of cases. In the chilled poultry products as well as in the frozen carcasses C. jejuni (74.8%/70.3%) was the most commonly isolated Campylobacter species, with the remainder being C. coli (25.2%/29.7%). Campylobacter spp. were not detected in the thermally treated poultry products.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Todor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stoyanchev
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vashin
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ring
authors.forename: Viktoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Atanassova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002031:Bulgaria; D017000:Campylobacter coli / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D011202:Poultry Products / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence