Isolation of Campylobacter jejuni Veron and Chatelain from crops and ceca of freshly eviscerated broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus Linn.)

Isolation of Campylobacter jejuni in crops and ceca of locally produced broiler chickens was determined using two methods: Enrichment procedure, incubated at 37 deg C and at 42 deg C temperature for 24 hours and direct plating method incubated at 42 deg C temperature for 24 hours and direct plating method incubated at 42 deg C temperature for 48 hours. Likewise, the efficiency of Campy BAP (DIFCO) and Mueller Hinton Blood Agar (BIOTEST) as selective plating media on the recovery of C. jejuni was determined. Direct inoculation of the samples on Campy BAP and Mueller Hinton Blood agar resulted in 80% (40/50) and 84% (42/50) recovery rate of C. jejuni in crops and ceca, respectively. A zero percent (0/50) recovery rate was obtained in crops and ceca after enrichment at 37 deg C for 24 hours. However, enrichment at 42 deg C for 24 hours revealed 4% (2/50) recovery from crop on both plating media, 6% (3/50) and 4% (2/50) from ceca on Campy BAP and MUeller-Hinton Blood Agar, respectively. The data showed a significant statistical difference (P0.05) between the enrichment and direct plating method used but no significant statistical difference (P0.05) was observed between incubation at 37 deg C and 42 deg C using the enrichment method. C. jejuni was recovered from 80% of crops and 85% of ceca by direct inoculation on both Campy BAP and Mueller-Hinton Blood Agar. There was no significant statistical difference on the recovery of C. jejuni between the crops and ceca (P0.05) Analysis on the efficiency of Campy BAP and Mueller-Hinton Boold agar as selective plating media did not show significant statistical difference (P0.05). Hence, both media were found beneficial for the optimum recovery of C. jejuni from poultry samples. Results from this study indicate that the high recovery of C. jejuni in crops and ceca of broilers is a significant risk factor for C. jejuni contamination of poultry carcasses during processing and evisceration. Thus, proper handling and preparation of poultry and its product should be emphasized from processing to kitchen level, since it could be a great threat to public health and safety.