Login to
Secure login for NCZR members.
Tools and databases for securely exchanging research data.
Contacts
Food safety
Food safety and public health are priorities in the global agenda. Food safety is a major concern in our society. Consumers are demanding more information about food safety following recent food scares. Therefore, food safety policies and controls need to cover the whole food chain. Contaminants can enter the food chain at different stages of food production. Food hazards need to be identified, controlled and properly managed. Therefore, research directed at investigating food safety aspects following a farm to fork approach is crucial. Data collected at different levels of the food chain need to be integrated and analysed using sophisticated IT programmes and data management technologies. European Legislation emphasizes Food Business Operators’ responsibilities in terms of food safety and the use of Food Chain Information and Communication of Inspection results for different animal species.
the epidemiology of Campylobacter
Campylobacter is the most frequently identified bacterial cause of food-borne human intestinal infection. The economic consequences of campylobacteriosis in humans are very high. The principal pathogenic species for humans are Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, but many more species can be sources of human infection. C. jejuni accounts for >90% of human cases, but its epidemiology remains poorly understood.
Domestic and wild animals constitute a large reservoir of campylobacter and it is possible to find a high rate of infection in clinically healthy animals. Campylobacter is frequently found in the intestinal tracts of cattle and sheep (Gill and Harris, 1982; Garcia et al., 1985; Altekruse et al., 1999; Nachamkin and Blaser, 2000; Wesley et al., 2000; Dykes and Moorhead, 2001). The shedding of Campylobacter species from the digestive system and its presence on the skin/hides of the animals is a cause of contamination for meat and the environment. The hide/skin and the gastrointestinal tract are recognised as the main sources of contamination of both meat and previously sterile tissues (Stanley et al., 1998; Nachamkin and Blaser, 2000; Frost, 2001; Beach et al., 2002; Small et al., 2003).
In humans, enteritis caused by C. jejuni is an acute illness and it can affect all age groups although it particularly affects children in developing countries. Campylobacter is an important cause of infantile diarrhoea in the third world (Taylor et al., 1991; Stafford et al., 1996; Allos, 1998; Nachamkin and Blaser, 2000). The clinical consequences of infection depend in part on the virulence of the infecting strain, the infecting dose and the susceptibility of the patient (Black et al., 1988; Nachamkin and Blaser, 2000).
The main symptoms are diarrhoea, fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, headache and muscle and joint pain. The prognosis is usually benign and recovery starts usually about 3 or 4 days into the illness although in some cases septicaemia may occur and occasionally other extra-intestinal complications such as meningitis and abortions. Chronic sequelae associated with C. jejuni infection such as Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) and reactive arthritis have been described (Altekruse et al., 1999; Miller and Mandrell, 2005). It has been reported that around 20% of patients with GBS are left with some disability and approximately 5% die of respiratory paralysis.
A recent study investigated the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in sheep and sheep carcases. The results showed that 65% of faecal samples, 95% of fleeces and 90% of carcases sampled prior to chilling yielded Campylobacter spp. The results from the identification of Campylobacter isolates to species level are shown in figure 1 (Garcia et al., 2008). Chilling and drying of carcases is believed to reduce the survival of campylobacter, although it is unclear to what degree (Grau, 1988). Epidemiological investigations of risk factors involved regarding the presence of campylobacter on meat revealed interesting results such as the cleanliness status of sheep fleeces being a statistically significant risk factor for the presence of Campylobacter on sheep carcases (p-value < 0.009; OR = 10.24).
The prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in cattle, and beef carcases before and after chilling is being investigated. MLST analysis of recovered C. jejuni isolates is being performed and will provide interesting information regarding links to isolates from other animal species and human campylobacteriosis cases.
The links between veterinary public health, veterinary epidemiology, animal health, environmental health, disease control, data management and food safety are obvious. Efforts should be directed to integrate all these aspects to protect animal health, public health and the environment.
some publications
1. A.B. Garcia, W.B. Steele, D.J. Taylor. (in press) Prevalence and carcase contamination with Campylobacter in sheep sent for slaughter in Scotland. Journal of Food Safety.
2. A.B. Garcia. (in prep) Risk of carcase contamination with Campylobacter in sheep sent for slaughter into an abattoir in Scotland.
3. A.A.Green, A.B. Garcia, Z. Woldehiwet, JM Bradbury. (in prep) Investigations into the colonisation of broiler chickens by Campylobacter jejuni.
4. A.B.Garcia. (in prep) Prevalence and molecular characterization of Campylobacter spp. isolated from cattle and beef carcases.
5. A.B. Garcia. (in prep). Epidemiological investigations into risk factors for the presence of Campylobacter spp. in beef carcases before and after chilling.
