TRANSIENT INCREASES IN COLONY COUNTS OBSERVED IN DECLINING POPULATIONS OF CAMPYLOBACTER-JEJUNI HELD AT LOW-TEMPERATURE

Colony forming unit counts of Campylobacter jejuni were serially deter mined in a variety of microcosms in which growth was not expected. Unr emitting decline in colony counts occurred in nutrient-free systems, h owever, transient increases were observed in human faecal emulsions an d nutrient media on storage at between 1 and 25 degrees C. The phenome non, which was more pronounced at lower temperatures, could not be att ributed to sampling errors, cell clumping or the influence of minor fl uctuations in experimental conditions. C. jejuni is capable of either growth at low temperatures or transition between temporarily noncultur able and culturable states. (C) 1998 Federation of European Microbiolo gical Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.