title: Thermotolerant Campylobacter in poultry meat marketed in the Abruzzo and Molise regions of Italy: prevalence and contamination levels.
abstract: The prevalence and level of contamination of Campylobacter were determined for poultry meat taken from small and large retailers in Abruzzo and Molise. Of a total of 392 samples analysed, 160 (40.8%) revealed low-level thermotolerant Campylobacter contamination (0.3-9.3 most probable number [MPN]/g), 17 samples (10.6%) showed a contamination level above 9.3 MPN/g and one sample (0.6%) had 110 MPN/g. Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli were isolated from 81.9% and 32.5% of the samples, respectively. More than one species of Campylobacter were isolated from 23.1% of the positive samples.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy. v.prencipe@izs.it
authors.forename: Vincenza
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Prencipe
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parisciani
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Calistri
authors.forename: Christina Michaela
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Caporale
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Iannitto
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morelli
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pomilio
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prochowski
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Migliorati