The Campylobacteriosis (Campylobacter jejuni) is a bacterium that can be found as a normal host in the intestine of laying hens, broilers, turkeys and ostriches, which can cause liver disease in these birds.

However, the importance of knowing how to prevent, diagnose and treat such a disease lies on its impact on human health, as it is a foodborne zoonotic disease, which can occur in isolated cases and be self-limiting.

According to the World Health Organization, human campylobacteriosis is one of the four major causes of infectious diarrhea in the world and this bacterium is considered the most frequent cause of gastroenteritis. It is presented with abdominal pain, diarrhea for 2 to 3 days and, in a small percentage of patients, it may present with ulcerative gastroenteritis. Although they present mild symptoms, it is particularly relevant in cases of children, adults of the third or fourth age, and immunodeficient people who may present more severe conditions.

Raw meat from productive poultry is considered an important source of human campylobacteriosis, although it can also cross-contaminate other foods; this is compounded by the problem of bacterial resistance to chemotherapeutics, especially fluoroquinolones.

Sometimes this disease presents important outbreaks in poultry production. Its frequency seems to be confined to certain parts of the world. Although it is minor compared to many other poultry diseases, its importance cannot be denied as it has an impact on the livestock economy.

Campylobacteriosis symptoms

The causative agent of this disease is Campylobacter jejuni, a microorganism that has characteristics of a curved, microaerophilic bacillus, without defined grouping that is considered Gram negative, although Gram staining is not useful for its identification due to the difficulty of observing this bacterium in clear field microscopes.

It does not present motility, does not have a capsule and does not form spores. It is an oxidase positive bacterium that generally does not ferment carbohydrates.

The affected flock shows many pale birds with scaly white crests; they have greenish watery diarrhea and egg production and daily weight gain are affected.

At necropsy, the liver is inflamed with petechial hemorrhages. The wall of the gallbladder is abnormally thickened. Necrotic lesions can also be seen in the heart and kidneys. The birds show a picture of anemia.

The bacterium is transmitted through evacuation; therefore, it is very easy to transmit it from one bird to another and from one house to another through shoes, clothes, equipment and food.

Diagnose and treatment

The diagnosis is achieved, besides the observation of the clinical signs of the disease, by isolating the bacteria, this method is the only way to confirm the presence of disease in the production unit. The media used for the isolation of the agent are enriched and selective (adding antibiotics), the SET media (selective and transport media), the Duffy solid media and BU7.

Incubation media should be kept in microaerobic conditions at 42°C. The colonies should be observed to be grey, convex and shiny with a diameter of 1 to 2 mm and should not produce hemolysis.

Apparently, the disease is more frequent in weak flocks due to stress, especially that produced by other diseases or by extreme temperatures. Coccidiosis seems to be one important factor, overcrowding is another. Some research has shown that maladjustment of the intestinal microbiota can lead to Campylobacter disease.

Management key to preventing Campylobacteriosis

Management of the flock becomes important in any preventive program. The disease is not prevalent in birds kept in wire-floored cages or in production units that strictly use an all-in-one system – all-out. The measures to reduce the prevalence of Campylobacter within poultry facilities include improving biosecurity, thereby preventing transmission of the microorganism from the environment to the production birds.

The prevention of this zoonotic disease is based on the control of all stages of the production chain, from processes within the poultry production unit to the processing, manufacturing and preparation of commercial and home-made food.

Slaughtering animals in good hygienic conditions and in appropriate facilities reduces their contamination by feces, although it does not guarantee the absence of the bacteria in meat and meat by-products. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to train slaughterhouse workers and producers in the proper handling of food, in order to guarantee a safe and quality final product.