Investigations into the Investigations into the epidemiology of epidemiology of

Campylobacter isolated from Campylobacter isolated from sheep and cattle: food safety sheep and cattle: food safety

management aspectsmanagement aspectsAnna Garcia

Lecturer in Veterinary Public Health

Campylobacter Campylobacter sheepsheep

A B C D

A- Prevalence faecal samples direct plating 49%

B- Prevalence faecal samples after enrichment 64%

C- Prevalence wool samples after enrichment 95%

D- Prevalence carcase samples after enrichment 90%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Pre

va

len

ce

va

lue

s (

%)

Results Results

(38%-60%)

(53%-73%)

(88%-98%)

(81%-95%)

Campylobacter spp. Campylobacter spp. sheepsheep

C.coli

16%

Other

5%NO ID

4% C.jejuni

75%

Campylobacter sheep Risk Campylobacter sheep Risk FactorsFactors• Final logistic regression model showing the most significant variables for

the presence of Campylobacter on the carcases. 

Coef. SE OR 95% CI p-value 

Cleanliness 2.33 0.89 10.24 1.77-59.18 0.009(acceptable but not very clean)

 C. jejuni 2.20 1.13 9.00 0.97-83.46 0.053positive faecal sample

• Final logistic regression model showing the most significant variables for the presence of Campylobacter jejuni on the carcases.

 

Coef. SE OR 95% CI p-value 

Time of the year 3.89 1.22 49.03 4.44-541.14 0.001(winter)

Campylobacter cattleCampylobacter cattle

http://jmm.sgmjournals.org/cgi/content/full/56/11/1467J. Med. Microbiol., Nov 2007

C. jejuniC. coli

C. fetus

Campylobacter cattle study resultsCampylobacter cattle study results

Fd- Faecal samples direct platingFe- Faecal samples after enrichmentC- Carcases before chillingCa-Carcases after 24 hours chilling

Campylobacter ID resultsCampylobacter ID results

MLST ANALYSISMLST ANALYSIS

Results MLST Results MLST analysisanalysis

• MLST performed MLST performed 43 samples43 samples

• ST identified 15 ST identified 15 samplessamples

MLST RESULTS (PubMLST)MLST RESULTS (PubMLST)• Fd2 C.jejuni ST 436 has been isolated from

human stools (UK, 2004 & Netherlands, 1998)

• Fd17 C.jejuni ST-97- ST-45 complex. This ST has been isolated from chickens (NZ, 1993) & chicken offal/meat (UK, 1982) & wild bird (UK, 2001)

• F86 C.jejuni- ST-52- ST-52 complex. This ST has been isolated from humans (stools and blood), chicken and sheep in UK, Netherlands, Australia, Canada and Curacao

• C30 C.coli 855 ST-828 complex. This ST has been isolated from chickens in UK. 

• C69 C.jejuni New ST? 

• C93 C.coli ST-1405 ST-828 complex. This ST has been isolated from chickens in UK.

Quantification Quantification CampylobacterCampylobacter• Direct plating (dilutions): Direct plating (dilutions):

– Carcases – Carcases after chilling – Results: very small colonies growing in

most plates (Gram stain: G (-) coccoid bacteria- viable Campylobacter?) but also confirmed Campylobacter colonies in a few plates

• Real time-PCR Real time-PCR – More research needed (primers and

controls)

• Effect of chilling in reducing Effect of chilling in reducing Campylobacter not clearCampylobacter not clear

Campylobacter control Campylobacter control strategiesstrategies• Farm to fork research to identify main Farm to fork research to identify main

risk factorsrisk factors• More research into the epidemiology of More research into the epidemiology of

CampylobacterCampylobacter• More research into effective control and More research into effective control and

preventionprevention• Surveillance scheme for Campylobacter Surveillance scheme for Campylobacter

infections in England and Wales (PHLS)infections in England and Wales (PHLS)• Effective implementation of controls!Effective implementation of controls!• HACCP evaluation and knowledge HACCP evaluation and knowledge

management (Soliman, 2000)management (Soliman, 2000)

Food Safety ManagementFood Safety Management• Integration:Integration:

– Food production systems and animal health and welfare

– Food Microbiology, Toxicology, new technologies (nanotechnology)

– Epidemiology – Management and industry– Policy and legislation

• ““Triple helix” model: university-industry-Triple helix” model: university-industry-government in the new knowledge economy government in the new knowledge economy (Etzkowitz and Leydesdorff, 1998)(Etzkowitz and Leydesdorff, 1998)

• Multidisciplinary teamsMultidisciplinary teams• Informed decisions and best solutions for Informed decisions and best solutions for

policy makerspolicy makers• IMPLEMENTATIONSIMPLEMENTATIONS

Animal/food chain data Animal/food chain data managementmanagement• Challenges:Challenges:

– Data quality– Integration for decision making &

improvement of food safety & quality

– Globalisation

• Animal health decision support Animal health decision support systems (e.g. EpiMAN) and response systems (e.g. EpiMAN) and response systems (e.g. GLEWS) systems (e.g. GLEWS)

• Food Chain Information, potentially Food Chain Information, potentially very useful- improvementsvery useful- improvements

Cattle data management Cattle data management projectproject• Evaluation on cattle data collection Evaluation on cattle data collection

and analysis across beef and dairy and analysis across beef and dairy industries (mainly UK but data from industries (mainly UK but data from other areas of the world being other areas of the world being considered)considered)

• Farm to fork approach (stakeholders)Farm to fork approach (stakeholders)• Research methodology: Research methodology:

questionnaires, interviewsquestionnaires, interviews• Purposes for data warehousingPurposes for data warehousing• Data mining technologies to extract Data mining technologies to extract

useful knowledgeuseful knowledge

Research benefits for the Research benefits for the industryindustry• Increasing external pressure from Increasing external pressure from

consumers regarding food consumers regarding food quality/food safety & animal welfarequality/food safety & animal welfare

• Food industry needs to implement Food industry needs to implement strategies that are consumer focus to strategies that are consumer focus to remain competitiveremain competitive

• Food industry will benefit from Food industry will benefit from implementing food security/food implementing food security/food safety systems & evaluation of safety systems & evaluation of effectivenesseffectiveness

Food Science Australia's microbiologists have examined the prevalence of Escherichia coli 0157 and Salmonella in Australian cattle and assisted industry in developing control measures for these human pathogens. This research has also been used by the Australian meat industry in discussions with trading partners including the USA

E. coli O157 and Salmonella in cattle      

http://www.foodscience.afisc.csiro.au/cattle.htm

Food Safety Research BenefitsFood Safety Research Benefits

Knowledge managementKnowledge management

• Intellectual capital is a very important Intellectual capital is a very important strategic asset. Effective knowledge strategic asset. Effective knowledge organisations & learning organisationsorganisations & learning organisations

• KM models to describe the KM models to describe the transformation of knowledge into transformation of knowledge into competitive advantagecompetitive advantage

• KM food security: Global KM food security: Global economic/climate changes dictate economic/climate changes dictate agricultural changesagricultural changes

KM strategies VPH/FOOD KM strategies VPH/FOOD SAFETYSAFETY

• Integration of food safety/VPH control Integration of food safety/VPH control programmes to achieve sustainable and safe programmes to achieve sustainable and safe food production in a global scalefood production in a global scale

• KM applied to disease control and particularly KM applied to disease control and particularly to the control of zoonoses (NCZR & NWZG)to the control of zoonoses (NCZR & NWZG)

• Research on disease epidemiology, food Research on disease epidemiology, food safety management systems to support and safety management systems to support and protect public health and food industryprotect public health and food industry

• Implementation of effective controlsImplementation of effective controls

• Evaluation (innovations) & KM strategiesEvaluation (innovations) & KM strategies

• Multidisciplinary teams & triple helix modelMultidisciplinary teams & triple helix model

ReferencesReferences• Naisbitt, J. (1982). Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives. New York:

Warner Books.

• Wataru Yamazaki-Matsune, Masumi Taguchi, Kazuko Seto, Ryuji Kawahara, Kentaro Kawatsu, Yuko Kumeda, Miyoshi Kitazato, Masafumi Nukina, Naoaki Misawa, and Teizo Tsukamoto (2007). “Development of a multiplex PCR assay for identification of Campylobacter coli, Campylobacter fetus, Campylobacter hyointestinalis subsp. hyointestinalis, Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter lari and Campylobacter upsaliensis” J. Med. Microbiol., Nov 2007; 56: 1467 - 1473.

• Soliman, F. (2000). Application of Knowledge management for hazard analysis in the Australian dairy industry. Journal of Knowledge Management. Volume 4 . Number 4 . 2000 . 287-294

• Etzkowitz, H. and Leydesdorff, L. (1998) The endless transition: a ‘Triple Helix’ of university-industry-government relations, Minerva, XXXVI (3): 203– 8.

• WHO (2002). Future trends in Veterinary Public Health. WHO Technical Report Series 907. Available online: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/trs/WHO_TRS_907.pdf

• Pictures from: http://www.kissmyfloppy.com/pages/pictures.php?category=animations; www.campylobacterblog.com; www.wmin.ac.uk; www.flickr.com; http://www.wasdalefellmeats.co.uk/lamutt.htm; http://www.azuwishevents.com/images/coastal_bend_texas_beef_tenderloin.jpg; http://www.funnypictures.net.au/modern-toilet-restaurant; http://www.magma.ca/~pavel/science/Foodbugs.htm; http://genetics.med.harvard.edu/~perrimon/campylobacter.html#cjejuni; http://www.strangezoo.com/images/content/1050.jpg

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

• University of Glasgow: Prof. David Taylor, University of Glasgow: Prof. David Taylor, Billy Steele, Bacteriology lab, CEIBilly Steele, Bacteriology lab, CEI

• University of Liverpool: Dr. Howard University of Liverpool: Dr. Howard Leatherbarrow, NCZR colleagues, Farm Leatherbarrow, NCZR colleagues, Farm Animal Department, Bacteriology lab, Prof. Animal Department, Bacteriology lab, Prof. Tony HartTony Hart

• VPHA VPHA

• USA: Prof. Will HuestonUSA: Prof. Will Hueston

• ECVPH colleaguesECVPH colleagues

THANK YOU!THANK YOU!

QuestionsQuestions??