SOURCES OF POULTRY MEAT CONTAMINATION WITH THERMOPHILIC CAMPYLOBACTER BEFORE SLAUGHTER

The possible sources of Campylobacter spp. in poultry meat before slaughter were studied by examining samples of feathers, cloaca swabs, litter swabs, transport coops, rinse water from coop washing equipment, and chicken breast supports in the slaughter line just before stunning. The samples were collected from 8 broiler houses and from 8 different producers, from a poultry integration system in southern Brazil. The study was carried out over a 12-month period, and each broiler house was sampled in three consecutive flocks, for a total of 24 flocks/broiler house. Campylobacter was found in 79.2 % of the feather samples, followed by cloacal swabs (75.0%) and transport coop (50.0%), litter (37.5%), breast support (33.3%) and coop rinse water (25.0%) samples. Considering the combined results of cloacal, feather and litter samples, 21 (87.5%) of the 24 chicken batches contained thermophilic Campylobacter in at least one of these samples prior to slaughter. Thermophilic Campylobacter were found in 22 of 24 chicken batches destined to slaughter, corresponding to 91.7 % contaminated batches. Key words: Campylobacter, poultry processin