Implementation of a national monitoring programme of Campylobacter in Irish broilers to measure progress of on-farm and primary processing control measures.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Campylobacter is the most common food-borne pathogen in the European Union. In 2018, the crude incidence rate in Ireland was 63.6 per 100,000 population. Chicken is considered an important source of infection for humans. In 2015, the Campylobacter Stakeholders' Group (CSG) was established to reduce Campylobacter contamination levels in Irish broiler flocks. AIMS: This work aimed to describe the Campylobacter monitoring programme that was established by the CSG, to analyse the results of this testing between 2019 and 2022, and to assess progress. METHODS AND RESULTS: This paper describes the monitoring programme that was established by the CSG, which harmonized Campylobacter enumeration testing across all Irish broiler processors and allowed comparability of results for trend analysis. An analysis of the 2019-2022 data is presented here and compared to previous studies of Campylobacter levels in Irish broilers. An analysis of the 2019-2022 data showed a significant reduction in levels in both caeca and neck skin when the results from 2022 were compared to those from 2019 to 2020. Campylobacter spp. were detected in 37% of caecal samples from first depopulation (pre-thin) broilers and 30% of neck skin samples in 2022, with just 4% of carcases (in neck skin samples) with ≥1000 colony-forming units per gram detected in 2022. Campylobacter levels detected in Irish broilers, in the present monitoring programme were less than those reported in previous studies in both caecal and carcase samples, although not directly comparable for statistical significance because of differences in study methods. CONCLUSIONS: The cooperation between stakeholders and regulators of the Irish broiler chicken industry over the past decade has facilitated a coordinated approach to monitoring of Campylobacter levels in broilers, and implementation of control measures. This has enabled a steady reduction in the levels of Campylobacter in Irish chicken.