scholarly journals Effect of enhanced biosecurity and selected on-farm factors on Campylobacter colonization of chicken broilers

2016 ◽  
Vol 145 (3) ◽  
pp. 553-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. GEORGIEV ◽  
W. BEAUVAIS ◽  
J. GUITIAN
Keyword(s):  
Broiler Chickens ◽  
Poultry Meat ◽  
Adjusted Risk ◽  
Source Of Infection ◽  
Population Attributable Fractions ◽  
Attributable Fractions ◽  
The Uk ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Human Campylobacteriosis ◽  
The Eu

SUMMARYHuman campylobacteriosis is the most commonly reported gastrointestinal bacterial infection in the EU; poultry meat has been identified as the main source of infection. We tested the hypothesis that enhanced biosecurity and other factors such as welfare status, breed, the practice of partial depopulation and number of empty days between flocks may prevent Campylobacter spp. caecal colonization of poultry batches at high levels (>123 000 c.f.u./g in pooled caecal samples). We analysed data from 2314 poultry batches sampled at slaughter in the UK in 2011–2013. We employed random-effects logistic regression to account for clustering of batches within farms and adjust for confounding. We estimated population attributable fractions using adjusted risk ratios. Enhanced biosecurity reduced the odds of colonization at partial depopulation [odds ratio (OR) 0·25, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·14–0·47] and, to a lesser extent, at final depopulation (OR 0·47, 95% CI 0·25–0·89). An effect of the type of breed was also found. Under our assumptions, approximately 1/3 of highly colonized batches would be avoided if they were all raised under enhanced biosecurity or without partial depopulation. The results of the study indicate that on-farm measures can play an important role in reducing colonization of broiler chickens with Campylobacter spp. and as a result human exposure.

scholarly journals A role for flies (Diptera) in the transmission ofCampylobacterto broilers?

2016 ◽  
Vol 144 (15) ◽  
pp. 3326-3334 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. ROYDEN ◽  
A. WEDLEY ◽  
J. Y. MERGA ◽  
S. RUSHTON ◽  
B. HALD ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Broiler Chickens ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Diarrhoeal Disease ◽  
Poultry Meat ◽  
Source Of Infection ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Low Prevalence ◽  
Sequence Types ◽  
Broiler House ◽  
Dipteran Species

SUMMARYCampylobacteris the leading cause of bacterial diarrhoeal disease worldwide, with raw and undercooked poultry meat and products the primary source of infection. Colonization of broiler chicken flocks withCampylobacterhas proved difficult to prevent, even with high levels of biosecurity. Dipteran flies are proven carriers ofCampylobacterand their ingress into broiler houses may contribute to its transmission to broiler chickens. However, this has not been investigated in the UK.Campylobacterwas cultured from 2195 flies collected from four UK broiler farms. Of flies cultured individually, 0·22% [2/902, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0–0·53] were positive by culture forCampylobacterspp. Additionally, 1293 flies were grouped by family and cultured in 127 batches: 4/127 (3·15%, 95% CI 0·11-6·19) from three broiler farms were positive forCampylobacter. Multilocus sequence typing of isolates demonstrated that the flies were carrying broiler-associated sequence types, responsible for human enteric illness. Malaise traps were used to survey the dipteran species diversity on study farms and also revealed up to 612 flies present around broiler-house ventilation inlets over a 2-h period. Therefore, despite the low prevalence ofCampylobactercultured from flies, the risk of transmission by this route may be high, particularly during summer when fly populations are greatest.

Campylobacter Contamination of UK-Produced Halal Chicken at Retail

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Royden ◽  
Robert Christley ◽  
Trevor Jones ◽  
Amelia Williams ◽  
Faez Awad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Broiler Chickens ◽  
Meat Products ◽  
Diarrhoeal Disease ◽  
Chicken Meat ◽  
Poultry Meat ◽  
Consumer Demographics ◽  
Antimicrobial Susceptibility Tests ◽  
Susceptibility Tests ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Skin Samples

Campylobacter is the leading cause of human bacterial diarrhoeal disease worldwide, with poultry meat products accounting for the majority of human cases. Recent surveys by the Food Standards Agency estimate the Campylobacter prevalence in fresh UK retail chicken to be 41.2%. However, such surveys have not distinguished between broiler chickens produced for different consumer demographics, such as the Halal market. Campylobacter colonisation of broilers is difficult to prevent, especially during routine partial depopulation of flocks. Broilers produced for the Halal market may undergo multiple depopulation events, which may increase the risk of colonisation and subsequent Campylobacter contamination of chicken meat. This project aimed to determine the prevalence and levels of Campylobacter contamination of chicken meat produced for the UK Halal market. Campylobacter was identified and enumerated from the neck skin and outer packaging of 405 Halal chickens. Following culture, isolates were assigned to species via PCR and disc diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility tests determined. Logistic regression analysis assessed risk factors for Campylobacter isolation, the level of Campylobacter contamination among positive carcasses and antimicrobial resistance outcomes. Campylobacter spp. were confirmed in 65.4% of neck skin samples and 17.1% of packaging samples. 13.8% of neck skin samples had the highest level of contamination (>1000 cfu/g). Large birds had a significantly higher number of samples with >1000 cfu/g (p<0.001) and as chicken carcass weight increased, birds were more likely to be Campylobacter-positive (p<0.05). A high prevalence of resistance was seen to ciprofloxacin (42.0%) and 38.5% of samples contained at least one multi-drug resistant Campylobacter isolate. This study demonstrates that Halal chicken has a higher Campylobacter prevalence than non-Halal chicken. Interventions should be introduced to reduce this increased public health risk to consumers.

scholarly journals A Biocontrol Option to Control a Foodborne Pathogen; Using Campylobacter Bacteriophages to Control Campylobacter in Poultry

Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 162
Author(s):  
Nalini Chinivasagam ◽  
Wiyada Estella ◽  
Samuel Cockerill ◽  
Lance Maddock ◽  
David Mayer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Broiler Chickens ◽  
Environmental Science ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Collaborative Study ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Foodborne Pathogen ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
High Performing ◽  
The Uk ◽  
On Farm

Campylobacter is a leading cause of foodborne illnesses both in Australia and internationally, and is frequently found in poultry. There is a need for sustainable options to support current farm management strategies that address food-safety. The use of bacteriophages provides a safe biocontrol option. A collaborative study by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QLD), the University of Nottingham (UK) and the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (NZ) is focused on the control of Campylobacter in broiler chickens. Campylobacter bacteriophages were sourced from Queensland poultry farms and following extensive screening, suitable candidates to be used in cocktails were identified. This followed an on-farm proof of concept study on a small sample of chickens, using selected cocktail candidates, to provide an understanding of the hurdles for practical application. The trial demonstrated a 2-log CFU/g reduction of Campylobacter in the caeca of treated birds compared to non-treated (p < 0.05). Another important finding of this study was the absence of bacteriophage resistance, a concern with phage therapy. Work at ESR has addressed approaches to select and adapt bacteriophage cocktails to particular hosts, which included screening against NZ and Australian hosts. This approach enabled the formulation of high performing bacteriophage cocktails for Australian and international markets. Work in the UK is exploring the understanding of the host-bacteriophage relationships to ensure safety to meet regulatory requirements and support potential scale-up options. In summary, the work in progress via international collaborations is aimed at delivering a safe biocontrol option that can meet both commercial and regulatory needs aiming at controlling on-farm Campylobacter.

Parallel sequencing reveals Campylobacter in commercial meat chickens less than 8 days old.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.M. Colles ◽  
S.J. Hedges ◽  
R. Dixon ◽  
S.G. Preston ◽  
P. Thornhill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Poultry Meat ◽  
Culture Methods ◽  
Faecal Samples ◽  
Commercial Farms ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
The Uk ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Farm Biosecurity ◽  
Profiling Analysis ◽  
Young Chicks

Campylobacter from contaminated poultry meat is a major source of human gastroenteritis worldwide. To date, attempts to control this zoonotic infection with on-farm biosecurity measures have been inconsistent in outcome. A cornerstone of these efforts has been the detection of chicken infection with microbiological culture, where Campylobacter is generally not detectable until birds are at least 21 days old. Using parallel sequence based bacterial 16S profiling analysis and targeted sequencing of the porA gene, Campylobacter was identified at very low levels in all commercial flocks at less than 8 days old that were tested from the UK, Switzerland, and France. These young chicks exhibited a much greater diversity of porA types than older birds testing positive for Campylobacter by culture or qPCR. This suggests that, as the bacteria multiply sufficiently to be detected by culture methods, one or two variants, as indicated by porA type, dominate the infection. The findings that: (i) most young chicks carry some Campylobacter and (ii) not all flocks become Campylobacter positive by culture, suggest that efforts to control infection, and therefore avoid contamination of poultry meat, should concentrate on how to limit Campylobacter to low levels by the prevention of the overgrowth of single strains. Importance: Our results demonstrate the presence of Campylobacter DNA amongst faecal samples from a range of commercially reared meat chicks that are less than 8 days of age, consistent across 3 European countries. The recently developed, sensitive detection method indicates that infection occurs on commercial farms much earlier and more widely than previously thought, which opens-up new opportunities to control Campylobacter contamination at the start of the food-chain, and reduce the unacceptably high levels of human disease.

Avian leukosis virus subgroup J-associated myelocytoma in a hobby chicken

2017 ◽  
Vol 182 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorraine P Smith ◽  
Lawrence Petheridge ◽  
Venugopal Nair ◽  
Alisdair Wood ◽  
David Welchman
Keyword(s):  
Broiler Chickens ◽  
Histopathological Examination ◽  
Health Agency ◽  
Internal Organs ◽  
Broiler Breeder ◽  
Source Of Infection ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Uk ◽  
First Time ◽  
Avian Leukosis Virus Subgroup

The avian leukosis viruses (ALVs) are a major group of retroviruses associated with neoplastic diseases in poultry. The ALV-J strain was identified as a cause of myelocytomas in broiler breeder and broiler chickens in the UK in the 1980s; however, following eradication of the virus,commercial broilers have remained free of infection since the early 2000s. A pet chicken was submitted to Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in 2013 with a history of croaking respirations, abnormality of the left eye and apparent paralysis. Postmortem examination of the bird showed widespread tumour-like infiltration of many organs, including the pectoral muscles, internal organs, sternum and ribs. Histopathological examination of the affected tissues revealed myelocytoma formation typical of the lesions associated with ALV-J, and the virus was confirmed by PCR testing and sequencing. Virus was not detected in blood samples in the other five chickens remaining in the flock. The source of infection was not established. This was the first time ALV-J had been seen in the UK since its eradicationand the case highlights the importance of continued surveillance of backyard and hobby chickens to detect potential new and re-emerging disease threats, such as ALV-J, which may be of significance to the wider poultry population.

scholarly journals The incidence and antimicrobial resistance of Arcobacter species in animal and poultry meat samples at slaughterhouses in Iran

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sepideh Khodamoradi ◽  
Ramin Abiri
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Broiler Chickens ◽  
Broiler Chicken ◽  
Poultry Meat ◽  
Source Of Infection ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Food Borne ◽  
Arcobacter Butzleri ◽  
Pcr Method ◽  
Meat Samples

Background and Objectives: Arcobacter species are food-borne and zoonotic enteropathogens. Defined breakpoints for the investigation of antimicrobial resistance of Arcobacter are missing. Materials and Methods: The study was performed to investigate the incidence and antimicrobial resistance of Arcobacter species in animals and poultry meat samples procured from slaughterhouses in Iran. To investigate the prevalence of antimi- crobial resistance, samples were collected from cattle (n=100), sheep (n=100), goat (n=100), broiler chicken (n=100), turkey (n=100) and quail (n=100). Arcobacter isolates of meat samples were isolated, investigated by PCR method and antibiotic resistance was also investigated. The susceptibility was assessed by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion. Results: The results showed that 52 samples (8.66%) were positive for Arcobacter spp. The most prevalence were observed in broiler chickens (26%, n=26 samples), quail (13%, n=13 samples), turkey (8%, n=8), cattle (3%, n=3), sheep (1%, n=1) and goat (1%, n=1). Arcobacter butzleri had highest prevalence among Arcobacter species. All the isolates showed sensitiv- ity to gentamicin, streptomycin and tetracycline. Conclusion: Poultry meat is a potential source of infection with Arcobacter that must be considered in slaughterhouses in Iran. Arcobacter species showed sensitivity for a broad spectrum of antibiotics that can be used during infection with Arco- bacter species.

Оrganic Meat Production of Broiler Chickens Hubbard Redbro Cross

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Broiler Chickens ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Meat Products ◽  
Poultry Meat ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Environmentally Safe ◽  
The Impact

This article presents the results of studying the impact of housing and feeding conditions on broiler chickens of Hubbard RedBro cross, as well as the quality of products obtained when using floor and cage content, in a farm. It established that when receiving a mixed feed of own production using feed raw materials grown on a farm without the use of pesticides, a statistically significant decrease in potentially dangerous substances for animal health is recorded. Compared with factory feed, it has reduced the content of pesticides by 14 times, and mercury and arsenic by 24 times, cadmium by five times, and lead by ten times. The results of the study of economic indicators of growing Hubbard RedBro cross broiler chickens, as well as the chemical composition and quality of carcasses, indicated that there was no significant difference between the floor and cell conditions of keeping. Still, the use of a diet based on eco-feeds contributed to a statistically significant decrease in the concentration of toxic metals in the muscles of the poultry of the experimental groups. As a result, it found that the use of the studied compound feed in the diets of broiler chickens increased the indicators of Biosafety and ensured the production of environmentally safe ("organic") poultry meat products.

Brexit and the EU Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deirdre Curtin
Keyword(s):  
Member State ◽  
Data Retention ◽  
Free Zone ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Eu

UK involvement in the EU Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice (AFSJ) has been patchy. It never joined the Schengen border-free zone, and when in 2014 it exercised a block exit from all AFSJ measures, it selectively rejoined a substantial number. Even if partially outside, the UK has been a leader inside. Advanced intelligence capabilities meant it provided important support to the functioning of agencies such as Europol and UK laws inspired EU laws, for example, on data retention. The need to preserve some pragmatic forms of cooperation between the UK and the EU is obvious and shared by the UK security establishment. There is a partial institutional precedent . When Denmark rejected participation in Europol in a popular referendum, the Danish government obtained a deal from the EU institutions which allows it to remain associated to Europol as a ‘third country’ (and a Member State). The bespoke Brexit reality may prove even more complex.

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