Campylobacter spp. contamination of chicken meat and by-products in Shahrekord, Iran

Campylobacter spp. is one of the most frequent pathogens of acute bacterial gastroenteritis which is transmitted mostly via food originating from animals. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. from raw chicken meats and by-products in Shahrekord، Iran. From May 2010 to August 2011، a total of 480 samples from chicken meat (n=120)، liver (n=120)، gizzard (n=120)، and heart (n = 120) were purchased from randomly selected two industrial poultry slaughter house in Shahrekord، Iran and were evaluated for the presence of Campylobacter. Using cultural methods، 331 of 480 meat samples (69. 0%) were contaminated with Campylobacter. The highest prevalence of Campylobacter spp. was found in chicken liver (78. 3%)، followed by gizzard (75. 8%)، heart (65. 0%)، and chicken meat (56. 7%). The most prevalence Campylobacter species isolated from meat samples was Campylobacter jejuni (90. 9%); the remaining isolates were C. coli (9. 1%). All 331Campylobacter isolates identified as C. jejuni and C. coli by using conventional bacteriological methods were also positive using PCR assay. Significantly higher prevalence rates of Campylobacter spp. (P < 0. 05) were found in samples taken in summer (86. 7%). This study shows the importance of chicken by-products as potential sources of Campylobacter spp. infection.