Molecular Characterization of Campylobacter jejuni in Raw Poultry Meat and Ready-to-Eat Poultry Meat Products in Northern India

Abstract

Campylobacter jejuni

†to†eat poultry meat products have been found

important source of transmission of this organism on consumption. In the

current study,raw poultry and ready to eat poultry meat product samples at

Bareilly part of Northern India were tested for

C. jejuni. Total 660 samples of

poultry meat and ready

†to â€Âeat poultry meat products were screened for the

presence of

C. jejuni using both cultural methods as well as PCR assay. Out of

the total samples, 126 (19.09%) were confirmed positive by cultural methods,

while 149 (22.50%) were confirmed positive by PCR assay. There was

also variation in the prevalence of

C. jejuni amongst the various ready†toeat

poultry meat products. This study indicates the need for risk assessment

based on microbiological criteria for

C .jejuni in poultry meat and ready†toeat

poultry meat products with strict implementation of provision of Hazard

Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system.

has been emerged as an important food borne zoonotic

bacterial pathogen associated with gastric illness in human beings. Contaminated

poultry and ready