Food safety control on poultry farms: effective control of Campylobacter

Publication date: 31/07/2016
Extent: 14 pages

Contributions by: Xiang Liu, University of Tennessee, USA, Irene Hanning, Lincoln International Academy, Nicaragua, Sandra Diaz-Sanchez, SaBio IREC, Spain and Jun Lin, University of Tennessee, USA

Chapter synopsis: The zoonotic pathogen, Campylobacter, is the leading cause of foodborne illness worldwide. It colonizes the intestinal tract of chickens, its primary host. In chickens, this pathogen is considered commensal and does not cause illness or have adverse impacts on production performance. A number of methods aim at controlling Campylobacter in the farm. This chapter discusses the general features and epidemiology of Campylobacter, improving biosecurity in the farm, antimicrobial therapy and increased host resistance, boosting the immune response, and DNA vaccines for preventing campylobacteriosis. It is concluded that, along with biosecurity, preventative treatments for the birds can act synergistically to significantly reduce the risk of contamination.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2016.0010.13