title: Flock health indicators and Campylobacter spp. in commercial housed broilers reared in Great Britain.
abstract: This study investigated the relationship between flock health and Campylobacter infection of housed commercial broilers in Great Britain. Thirty ceca were collected at slaughter from batches of broilers from 789 flocks, at either full or partial depopulation, between December 2003 and March 2006 and examined individually for Campylobacter by direct plating onto selective media. Management and health data were collected from each flock and included information on mortality or culling during rearing, the number of birds rejected for infectious or noninfectious causes at slaughter, the proportion of birds with digital dermatitis (also termed hock burn), and other general characteristics of the flock. Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 280 (35%) flocks. The relationship between bird health and welfare and Campylobacter status of flocks was assessed using random-effects logistic regression models, adjusting for region, month, year, and rearing regime. Campylobacter-positive batches of ceca were associated with higher levels of rejection due to infection (odds ratio [OR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI(95%)], 0.98 to 2.30) and digital dermatitis (OR, 2.08; CI(95%), 1.20 to 3.61). Furthermore, higher levels of these conditions were also associated with the highest-level category of within-flock Campylobacter prevalence (70 to 100%). These results could indicate that improving health and welfare may also reduce Campylobacter in broilers.
authors.affiliation: Foodborne Zoonoses Unit, Health Protection Agency, School of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS405DU, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bull
authors.forename: Alastair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Humphrey
authors.forename: Johanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ellis-Iversen
authors.forename: Alasdair J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lovell
authors.forename: Frieda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jorgensen
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002432:Cecum / Q000382:microbiology; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000382:microbiology; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005534:Foot Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D016015:Logistic Models; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology