The prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in imported chicken

2018 10 – 2019 11 Master's thesis has been performed at Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Veterinary Academy, Department of Food Safety and Quality, at Raw Animal Origin Foodstuffs Safety and Quality Testing Laboratory. The aim of the thesis – to estimate the prevalence of Campylobacter in imported chicken. Methods and materials. In period of investigation 138 imported chicken samples (raw wings and drumsticks) were collected and tested from various selling places in different seasons. Campylobacter spp. were isolated and identificated from imported chicken products using direct and enrichment methods. Isolated Campylobacter spp. were identified up to species using a modified multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. PCR products were analyzed by agarose gel using electrophoresis. After epidemiological investigation C. jejuni and C. coli strains were selected and prevalence of virulance genes was evaluated. Results. This study revealed that Campylobacter spp. was in 36 (26.1 %) samples of which: 19 cooled wings (52.7 %) and 17 cooled drumsticks (47.2 %). Most of Campylobacter spp. samples were found during autumn and winter. After evaluating of Campylobacter spp. prevalence in imported chicken the highest prevalence was C. coli (35 %) and C. jejuni (48 %). C. jejuni in cooled drumsticks was 12 % more than C. coli, cooled wings – 37 % more. After evaluating the prevalence of Campylobacter at different sales places, we found out that contamination of cooled broilers products was not significantly impacted by sale place (p>0,05). Cooled drumsticks had 12 % more of C. jejuni than C. coli, while cooled wings had 37 % more of C. jejuni than C. coli. After examination virulence factors of Campylobacter spp. isolated from chilled broiler products, it revealed that C. jejuni and C. coli strains contain CadF and CdtA virulence genes. The CadF virulence gene was low in 16.6 % of samples, while the CdtA gene was found in almost all chicken samples (94.4 %)