Incidence of Campylobacter species in wholesale chicken carcasses and chicken meat products in Assiut city, Egypt

Campylobacter was investigated in chicken meat and chicken meat product harvested in Assiut. The conventional isolation method were used for isolation of campylobacter and further confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Out of ninety samples of fresh, frozen whole chicken carcasses and chicken based products (30 samples each), 20/30 (66.7%) was positive for Campylobacter by conventional isolation method in each of examined fresh and frozen whole chicken carcasses. Two samples were isolated from chicken nuggets. Campylobacter couldn't be detected in chicken burger. Eighty percent (16/20) was positive for campylobacter genus by the simplex PCR in each of examined fresh and frozen whole chicken carcass. Equal frequencies of C. jejuni (87.5%) fourteen out of sixteen samples confirmed positive for Campylobacter genus by the simplex PCR) were noticed in each of examined fresh and frozen whole chicken carcasses, while C. coli detected at rate of 14/16(87.5%) and 12/16(75%), respectively by duplex PCR assay. Both of C. jejuni and C. coli were detected and confirmed by duplex PCR in the two positive samples of chicken nuggets. According to this study, it appears that the incidence of C. jejuni and C. coli almost equal in the examined samples. Also nearly the same rate of occurrence of campylobacter in fresh and frozen chicken carcass, but in chicken meat products is very low. (c) All Rights Reserved