Ciência Rural (Feb 2018)

Detection of Campylobacter spp. in chilled and frozen broiler carcasses comparing immunoassay, PCR and real time PCR methods

  • Luciana Pimenta Reis,
  • Liliane Denize Miranda Menezes,
  • Graciela Kunrath Lima,
  • Ethiene Luiza de Souza Santos,
  • Elaine Maria Seles Dorneles,
  • Débora Cristina Sampaio de Assis,
  • Andrey Pereira Lage,
  • Silvana de Vasconcelos Cançado,
  • Tadeu Chaves de Figueiredo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-8478cr20161034
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 48, no. 2

Abstract

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ABSTRACT: In order to detect and identify Campylobacter spp. in broiler chicken carcasses, and to compare detection methods, 43 chilled and 43 frozen carcasses were collected and analyzed. Three methodologies were evaluated: an automated Enzyme Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA) VIDAS®30, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and real-time PCR. Only four chilled carcasses (4.6%) were considered positive for Campylobacter spp. by VIDAS®30 and no sample was positive when the conventional PCR technique was used. However, real-time PCR showed a higher incidence of contamination by Campylobacter spp. in broiler carcasses, with 45 (52.3%) positive samples. C. jejuni was the species most frequently reported in the samples (88.8%). No differences in the frequencies of Campylobacter spp. were observed between the chilled and frozen broiler carcasses. In conclusion, real-time PCR was the most sensitive method for the detection of Campylobacter spp. in chilled or frozen broiler carcasses, which were mainly contaminated by C. jejuni.

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