Thermophilic Campylobacter spp. in Danish broiler production: a cross-sectional survey and a retrospective analysis of risk factors for occurrence inbroiler flocks
B. Hald et al., Thermophilic Campylobacter spp. in Danish broiler production: a cross-sectional survey and a retrospective analysis of risk factors for occurrence inbroiler flocks, AVIAN PATH, 29(2), 2000, pp. 123-131
In order to elucidate the rate of thermophilic Campylobacter spp, carriage
in Danish broiler production and to identify risk factors for occurrence of
campylobacter in broiler flocks, a total of 88 randomly selected broiler f
locks were tested for campylobacter infection, and a subsequent study of ri
sk factors based on a questionnaire was conducted, The sample material comp
rised cloacal swabs from live birds before slaughter, and neck skin samples
from carcasses at the end of the processing line. A total of 52% of the fl
ocks were found Campylobacter spp.-positive before slaughter. At the end of
processing, 24% of the flocks were positive. The species distribution was
87% Campylobacter jejuni, 8% Campylobacter coli and 5% Campylobacter lari,
The following parameters were identified as significant risk factors: lack
of a hygiene barrier (odds ratio (OR) = 3.1, 1.1 < OR < 9.3), presence of a
nimals in the vicinity of the broiler house on farms with a missing hygiene
barrier (OR = 7.0, 1.6 < OR < 33.9), livestock other than chickens on farm
s with a missing hygiene barrier (OR = 7.6, 1.4 < OR < 44.9), dividing the
flock into batches for staggered slaughter (OR = 6.8, 1.2 < OR < 49.3), a d
own period of less than 14 days (OR = 5.0, 1.2 < OR < 22.6), and feeding pu
rchased wheat rather than home-grown wheat (OR = 3.1, 1.0 < OR < 9.9). The
presence of a hygiene barrier was found to be the single most important bio
security measure for production of campylobacter-free broilers.