Recovery of Campylobacter jejuni from surfaces of poultry slaughterhouses after cleaning and disinfection procedures: Analysis of a potential source of carcass contamination

Campylobacters are a primary cause of human bacterial enteritis worldwide. They are usually considered susceptible to the disinfectant molecules used in the food industry. The purpose of this study was to see if campylobacters could survive cleaning and disinfection in poultry slaughterhouses and whether the strains recovered could contaminate carcasses during processing. Samples obtained from the environment before and after cleaning and disinfection (transport crates, processing equipment surfaces, scald tank water) and from birds (fresh droppings, neck skins) were collected during 7 investigations in 4 different slaughterhouses. Out of 41 samples collected, 30 Campylobacter jejuni strains were recovered from the surfaces of processing equipment before cleaning and disinfection procedures in three slaughterhouses and 9 C. jejuni out of 51 samples collected were found after cleaning. The study was then focused on one slaughterhouse to trace passage of the pathogen on poultry carcasses. The antimicrobial resistance phenotypes (P) (minimum inhibitory concentration, MIC) of the C. jejuni isolates collected in this slaughterhouse were determined. Nine phenotypes could be distinguished. Three of these were of interest as they were found in isolates recovered after cleaning and disinfection procedures. The genotypes (G) were determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) of isolates with one of the three phenotypes of interest. Clusters constructed by combining the phenotype and genotyping observations (P ⁎ G type) were compared between isolates obtained after cleaning and disinfection, and isolates from droppings, neck skin and transport crate samples of slaughtered poultry flocks. Only one P ⁎ G type of strain was recovered from surfaces after cleaning and disinfection and from neck skin samples but was also recovered from transport crates. Our findings indicate that C. jejuni is able to survive overnight on food processing equipment surfaces, after cleaning and disinfection procedures, and that these strains may contaminate carcasses during the slaughter process. These results add to our understanding of poultry carcass contamination and highlight the need to develop ways of reducing the risk of human infection with Campylobacter through the consumption of poultry products.