Presence of thermophilic Campylobacter species in Broilers and pigs at certain abattoirs in Republic of Serbia

Examinations were carried out during the period from January 2006 until March 2007 on a total of 449 samples of the cecum of broilers and the cecum and the colon of pigs. These samples included 251 samples originating from broilers and 198 samples of pig cecums and colons. All the listed samples were obtained by scraping the surface of these parts of the digestive system of broilers and pigs. At the site of sampling, the diluted material was sown on a medium (Karmali agar), in order to get individual colonies. After sowing, the bases were placed in anaerobic jars in which microaerophilic conditions were achieved using Campy Pak, BBL bags. On arrival at the laboratory, the jars containing the sown bases were placed in a thermostat, at a temperature of 42oC for 48 hours for the purpose of incubation. Following incubation, the grown colonies were examined macroscopically, and then microscopic preparations were made from them, which were stained with 2% carbol fuchsin after drying and fixation. Those isolates which were in the form of a comma, the letter S, or gull's wings in the microscopic preparations were considered Campylobacter species (Figures 1 and 2). The isolated thermophilic campylobacteria were identified using conventional and commercial biochemical tests API Campy, manufactured by Bio Mérieux, France. With the application of these microbiological methods, thermophilic Campylobacter species were isolated from 203 (80.88%) of the 251 samples of broiler cecums. Furthermore, thermophilic campylobacteria were isolated from 153 (77.27%) of the 198 samples from the cecum and colon of pigs taken within these investigations. The obtained results indicate that there is a somewhat greater prevalence of these bacteria among the broilers. However, such a high percentage of both broilers and pigs colonized by thermophilic Campylobacter species could pose a serious problem, in particular when it is known that infections of humans caused by the consumption of insufficiently thermally processed meat of broilers or pigs are not infrequent.