Relation between broiler and human Campylobacter jejuni strains isolated in Belgium from 2011 to 2013.

AIMS: This study inquires the relationship between Campylobacter jejuni isolated from broiler meat carcasses (n = 97) and human clinical samples (n = 72) in Belgium, from 2011 to 2013. METHODS AND RESULTS: The evaluation of the relation was based on the characteristics determined using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) alone and combined with flagellin gene A restriction fragment length polymorphism (flaA-RFLP) typing, antibiotic microbiological resistance profiling (AMRp), lipooligosaccharide class typing or virulence gene profiling (Vp). Clusters containing both human and broiler meat strains were more common when MLST was used alone, followed by MLST/flaA-RFLP and then by MLST/AMRp. More logical chronologically relations broiler-human were obtained for MLST/flaA-RFLP, then for MLST, and finally for MLST/AMRp: i.e. the isolates would first be detected in the broiler meat and at the same time or later in humans. CONCLUSIONS: In several cases, the C. jejuni strains isolated from the consumed broiler meat and from the campylobacteriosis case had the same profile, according to the used typing methods. The circulating Campylobacter strains appear to have remained the same from 2011 till 2013 in Belgium. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study corroborates previously published data from Belgium that suggest a strong correlation between C. jejuni strains isolated from broiler meat and from campylobacteriosis patients.

Comparative performance of isolation methods using Preston broth, Bolton broth and their modifications for the detection of Campylobacter spp. from naturally contaminated fresh and frozen raw poultry meat.

The performance of different isolation methods was evaluated for the detection of Campylobacter from naturally contaminated raw poultry meat. Therefore, fresh and frozen poultry meat samples were analysed using the standard procedure (ISO 10272-1:2006), enrichment in Preston broth, and enrichment in modified Bolton broth (supplemented with (i) potassium clavulanate (C-BB), (ii) triclosan (T-BB), (iii) polymyxin B (P-BB)). The enrichment cultures were streaked onto both modified charcoal cefoperazone deoxycholate agar (mCCDA) and RAPID'Campylobacter agar (RCA). Moreover, direct plating on mCCDA and RCA was performed to quantify Campylobacter. In total, 33 out of 59 fresh retail meat samples (55.9%) were Campylobacter positive. For both fresh and frozen poultry meat samples, enrichment in Bolton broth (ISO 10272-1:2006) resulted in a higher number of positive samples than enrichment in Preston broth. Supplementation of Bolton broth with potassium clavulanate (C-BB) and triclosan (T-BB) enhanced the Campylobacter recovery from fresh poultry meat compared to non-supplemented Bolton broth, although the use of C-BB was less applicable than T-BB for Campylobacter recovery from frozen samples. Additionally, the use of RCA resulted in a higher isolation rate compared to mCCDA. The present study demonstrates the impact of culture medium on the recovery of Campylobacter from fresh and frozen naturally contaminated poultry meat samples and can support laboratories in choosing the most appropriate culturing method to detect Campylobacter.