title: Molecular epidemiology of Campylobacter isolates from poultry production units in southern Ireland.
abstract: This study aimed to identify the sources and routes of transmission of Campylobacter in intensively reared poultry farms in the Republic of Ireland. Breeder flocks and their corresponding broilers housed in three growing facilities were screened for the presence of Campylobacter species from November 2006 through September 2007. All breeder flocks tested positive for Campylobacter species (with C. jejuni and C. coli being identified). Similarly, all broiler flocks also tested positive for Campylobacter by the end of the rearing period. Faecal and environmental samples were analyzed at regular intervals throughout the rearing period of each broiler flock. Campylobacter was not detected in the disinfected house, or in one-day old broiler chicks. Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from environmental samples including air, water puddles, adjacent broiler flocks and soil. A representative subset of isolates from each farm was selected for further characterization using flaA-SVR sub-typing and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) to determine if same-species isolates from different sources were indistinguishable or not. Results obtained suggest that no evidence of vertical transmission existed and that adequate cleaning/disinfection of broiler houses contributed to the prevention of carryover and cross-contamination. Nonetheless, the environment appears to be a potential source of Campylobacter. The population structure of Campylobacter isolates from broiler farms in Southern Ireland was diverse and weakly clonal.
authors.affiliation: UCD Centre for Food Safety, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, UCD Veterinary Sciences Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Emer
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Mahony
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: Declan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bolton
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Whyte
authors.forename: Séamus
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fanning
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000378:metabolism*; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D002645:Chickens; D005838:Genotype; D007494:Ireland; D008460:Meat; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology / Q000379:methods; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011200:Poultry / Q000235:genetics; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA