title: Campylobacter in Poultry: Ecology and Potential Interventions.
abstract: Avian hosts constitute a natural reservoir for thermophilic Campylobacter species, primarily Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, and poultry flocks are frequently colonized in the intestinal tract with high numbers of the organisms. Prevalence rates in poultry, especially in slaughter-age broiler flocks, could reach as high as 100% on some farms. Despite the extensive colonization, Campylobacter is essentially a commensal in birds, although limited evidence has implicated the organism as a poultry pathogen. Although Campylobacter is insignificant for poultry health, it is a leading cause of food-borne gastroenteritis in humans worldwide, and contaminated poultry meat is recognized as the main source for human exposure. Therefore, considerable research efforts have been devoted to the development of interventions to diminish Campylobacter contamination in poultry, with the intention to reduce the burden of food-borne illnesses. During the past decade, significant advance has been made in understanding Campylobacter in poultry. This review summarizes the current knowledge with an emphasis on ecology, antibiotic resistance, and potential pre- and postharvest interventions.
authors.affiliation: A Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011.
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.affiliation: B Food Animal Health Research Program, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691.
authors.forename: Issmat I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Kassem
authors.affiliation: A Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011.
authors.forename: Zhangqi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: C Department of Animal Science, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: B Food Animal Health Research Program, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691.
authors.forename: Gireesh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rajashekara
authors.affiliation: A Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011.
authors.forename: Qijing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000187:drug effects*; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D011200:Poultry; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Campylobacter; broiler; carcass contamination; colonization; control measures; poultry