Genotyping of thermotolerant Campylobacter from poultry slaughterhouse by amplified fragment length polymorphism.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the occurrence, diversity and transmission of Campylobacter in a poultry slaughterhouse.


RESULTS
During a 4-week period, a slaughterhouse was sampled alternately during slaughtering and the following mornings post-disinfection. Samples were taken from poultry at six stages in the slaughter process and from 25 environmental sites. For positive broiler flocks slaughtered on one occasion, 92% and 48% of the environmental sites were positive during slaughter and post-disinfection, respectively. For positive laying hen flocks slaughtered on three occasions, 8-56% and 12-20% of the environmental sites were positive during slaughter and post-disinfection, respectively. Genetic fingerprinting by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) of the 109 isolates obtained resulted in 28 different AFLP clones. Five AFLP clones were present for more than 1 week.


CONCLUSIONS
Slaughtering of Campylobacter-positive broilers resulted in extensive contamination of the slaughterhouse, including the air. A high proportion of the laying hen flocks were Campylobacter positive, but these caused less environmental contamination than the broilers. This, together with the freezing of all layer carcasses, results in a lower public health risk from laying hens, when compared with broilers.


CONCLUSIONS
When slaughtering Campylobacter-positive broilers, the implementation of preventive measures is important to reduce contamination of negative carcasses and to protect the workers against infection.
Johnsen
G
G
National Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway. sarogde@online.no
Kruse
H
H
Hofshagen
M
M
D000003:Abattoirs; D054458:Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D017000:Campylobacter coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D044863:Campylobacter lari / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002432:Cecum / Q000382:microbiology; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics*; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D005260:Female; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005838:Genotype; D006358:Hot Temperature; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology