French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has declared that the rise in Campylobacter and E.coli cases in Europe was “directly related” to an alleged increase in ritual slaughterings, which she called a “sanitary bomb”.
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Category Archives: Campylobacter
Report on Campylobacter Reservoirs on Farms
Campylobacter is the most common known source of human bacterial enteritis in the developed world and poultry is considered the main source. Broilers often become colonised with Campylobacter during rearing, and then contaminate the farm environment. The objective of this study was to identify Campylobacter-positive environmental reservoirs on farms, as these pose a risk to broiler flocks becoming colonised with Campylobacter. We considered the temporal aspects of exposure and colonisation. A longitudinal study monitored six conventional rearing farms over 2 years. The broiler flocks, catchers’ equipment, vehicles, shed surrounds, shed entrance, other equipment, farm entrance, other animals, puddles, dead birds, mains water and drinkers were systematically sampled 2–4 times per flock. A multivariable generalised estimating equation model was used to assess associations between contaminated environmental sites and colonised broiler flocks. The associations were adjusted for confounders and other known risk factors. To further assess temporality of contamination, the sequence of contamination of the different environmental sites and the flocks was established. Contaminated shed entrances and anterooms, contaminated drinkers and shedding of Campylobacter by other animals such as cattle, dogs, wildlife and rodents were significantly associated with positive flocks. The reservoir of ‘other animals’ was also the reservoir most commonly positive before the flock became colonised. The other sites usually became contaminated after the flock was colonised.
Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen
Tagged environment, science, water
Ireland Rise in Campylobacter Cases?
Experts are puzzled at the rise in cases of Campylobacter — the most common cause of food poisoning.
There were 2,440 official cases notified in the Republic last year, which is a rise of 46.9pc over 2010.
Its largest group of victims are children under four years of age, according to the disease watchdog, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre of Ireland.
It pointed out that the increase in cases has been examined in a range of countries in the past but beyond theories about consumption of poorly cooked poultry no firm explanation for any rise was found.
I was discussing this at a meeting yesterday and we wondered if it was linked to the current economic climate and chicken being a cheaper meat than beef or lamb?
Vaccinating Chickens – Campylobacter
A vaccine could be developed to prevent Campylobacter being carried in chickens. This approach could drastically cut the number of cases of food poisoning, saving the UK economy millions each year, says an American scientist presenting his work at the Society for General Microbiology’s Spring Conference in Dublin.
Scientists at Washington State University are studying the maternal antibodies that are passed from hens to their chicks. “These antibodies protect chicks from becoming colonized by Campylobacter in the first week of life,” explained Professor Michael Konkel who is leading the research. “Our group has now identified the bacterial molecules that these antibodies attack, which has given us a starting point for a vaccine against Campylobacter,” he said. “We have already found that chickens injected with these specific molecules – found on the surface of Campylobacter jejuni – produce antibodies against the bacterium. This response partially protects them from colonization.”
A vaccine could be a powerful weapon to help control food-borne illness. “Preventing contamination of poultry at slaughter has not been effective at reducing illness in humans. It has been shown that about 65% of chickens on retail sale in the UK are contaminated with Campylobacter,” explained Professor Konkel. “Ideally, the best way to prevent contamination is to stop chickens on the farm from becoming colonized with this microorganism in the first place, which could be achieved by vaccination. Our goal within the next 6 months is to test a vaccine for chickens that will reduce Campylobacter colonization levels. There’s still a long way to go, but I’m confident our lab and others are moving in the right direction.”
Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen
Tagged health
California Announces Raw Milk Recall – Campylobacter
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) today announced a recallof “raw milk, raw nonfat milk and raw cream produced by Claravale Farm of San Benito County.”
The action was based on results of testing that revealed the presence of Campylobacter bacteria in the company’s raw cream.
Food Poisoning Could Have Lifelong Consequences
Two stories from the Mail Online, one about the long term consequences of foodborne illness and the other about Selfridges ‘Raw Milk’ sales.
Stomach bugs may not only make you feel miserable at the time. Salmonella, E coli and other types of food poisoning may have lifelong consequences.
Studies have shown that people caught up in food poisoning outbreaks are more likely to develop a host of lengthy illnesses, including diabetes, arthritis, kidney failure, high blood pressure and even heart attacks and strokes.
Some, such as kidney damage thought to be caused by powerful poisons released by the bugs and arthritis triggered by a faulty immune response, occur within weeks. Others, such as high blood pressure, take years to appear.
Upmarket store Selfridges has been accused of potentially putting customers at risk and breaking the law by selling ‘raw’ milk.
It is selling the milk, produced on an organic farm in Sussex, from a vending machine and insists it is hugely popular and regularly sells out.
Many traditionalists enjoy raw milk, believing it tastes nicer and may even be better for them.
However the Government’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) and its experts insist that raw milk, which is not heat-treated or pasteurised to kill off harmful bugs, is a public health threat.
NZ – Campylobacter 200 Cases
Cases of campylobacter have been on the rise since December, hitting a peak last month, with almost 200 reported cases in Canterbury and the West Coast.
In some weeks, the number of reported cases has been double that of weeks in previous years.
Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) medical officer of health Ramon Pink said campylobacter rates in Canterbury used to be “right up there with global rates”.
“Over the last few years a lot of work has gone into reducing those rates and we had definitely seen a decline but, for some reason, this year numbers have increased again,” he said.
“This rise could be due to a number of things – maybe because of the earthquakes and subsequent damage to infrastructure, but I am just speculating.”
The bacterial disease is transmitted from contaminated food or water and can infect the gastrointestinal tract and cause diarrhoea, fever and cramps.
EFSA Video Links – Salmonella, Campylobacter, Pathogens
Short videos on the following subjects from the European Food Safety Authority.
What is Salmonella?
What is antimicrobial resistance?
What are foodborne zoonotic pathogens?
What is Campylobacter?
FSA – Raw Milk Review?
Possibly in light of the recent raw milk food illness outbreaks in the USA the FSA are deciding whether to review the use and sale of raw milk in the UK.
The Board of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) will decide next week whether the FSA should review the current rules governing the sale and marketing of unpasteurised, or raw, drinking milk and cream. This follows developments in the sale of raw milk which have seen producers using new routes of sale for their products, such as the internet and vending machines.
Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Food Illness, Food Safety, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Uncategorized
Tagged food
Chicken Livers – Cooking – Campylobacter
University of Aberdeen scientists bought raw chicken livers from a typical range of supermarkets and butchers over a two-year period and, after testing in the lab, discovered the bug Campylobacter in 81% of them.
In a study published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology the researchers also reveal that 56% of the types of Campylobacter found in contaminated chicken livers matched the 10 most common strains of the bug found in people with Campylobacter poisoning
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