Frequency of isolation and identification of thermophilic Campylobacters from animals in Brazil

摘要

Thermophilic Campylobacter spp. occur in the intestinal contents of a wide variety of animals (Rosef et al., 1983). Although Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli cause acute diarrhoeal disease in man worldwide (Nachamkin et al., 1998), in other mammalian species they are mostly present in an apparently healthy carrier state (Rosef et al., 1983). As C. jejuni and C. coli both have a cycle involving water, animals and foods, most infections in man with Campylobacter spp. are associated with animal contact (Tauxe, 1992) and consumption of raw or undercooked animal products (Detaining et al., 1987). Eviscerated carcasses at slaughter are frequently contaminated, and poultry and red meat products at the retail stage carry Campylobacter spp. (Altekruse et al., 1994). Contact with infected pets resulting in human infection has also been proposed as a potential risk (Blaser et al., 1980). The few reported studies of Campylobacter spp. as a human gastroenteric pathogen in Brazil show isolation rates ranging from 6.4 percdent to 14.3 percent (Ricciardi et al., 1979; Pavan et al., 1987). Among animals, only in the dog (Modolo et al., 1991) and in poultry are carriage rates well documented (Machado et al., 1994; Aquino et al., 1996). The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency of campylobacters in poultry carcasses and in faeces from birds and domestic animals in Brazil between 1998 and 2000.