CAMPYLOBACTER IN FINISHER PIGS—FROM FARM TO

Abstract Campylobacter excretion and diversity was investigated in three cohorts of 20 pigs from three different pig herds, respectively. Feces were collected from all pigs in the herd and after transport during lairage. Carcass swab samples were collected from all pigs pre- and post-chilling. All pigs (n=60) excreted Campylobacter in the herd and in the lairage. The typical excretion levels were between log 4/g and log 5.5/g feces. Pre-chilling more than 90 % of carcasses were positive for Campylobacter. Post-chilling Campylobacter was isolated from only 17.5 % of carcasses. Excretion levels of Campylobacter did not increase during transport and lairage. Twenty C. coli serotypes and three C. jejuni serotypes were identified. Indistinguishable C. jejuni serotype 2 iso-lates were detected in pigs from one farm at all sampling occasions, indicative of carcass contam-ination. C. jejuni was isolated more often post-chilling, relative to C. coli. Introduction Campylobacter is the most common cause of zoonotic human enteritis in Denmark with an incidence of 66 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2003 (Anonymous, 2004). The majority (90%) of human cases is caused by C. jejuni, and is attributed mainly to poultry. Of the remaining cases, 5 % are diagnosed as C. coli and these are assumed to originate mainly from pork. Many studies have shown C. coli prevalences of>90 % in pigs, including Denmark (Nielsen et al, 1997; Boes e