Campylobacter is a bacteria that is very common in the intestines of broiler chickens. However, contamination of meat can occur during animal slaughter and processing, and consequently infect the consumer, causing stomach cramps and diarrhoea. Since meat from poultry colonized with Campylobacter spp. is a major cause of bacterial gastroenteritis, human exposure should be reduced by, among other things, prevention of colonization of broiler flocks. For this reason it is essential that researchers estimate the moment when and how exactly the first bird in a flock is colonized, in order to allow researchers to better focus their work on preventing infection.
Twan van Gerwe from the Veterinary University Utrecht (The Netherlands) has developed a method that provides an important quantitative estimate of the rate of transmission of Campylobacter in broiler flocks. Van Gerwe also demonstrated that the chickens are less likely to become infected by Campylobacter when some fatty acids are added to their feed. The results of his research could be helpful in future studies on the epidemiology of Campylobacter in the field.
Van Gerwe defended his thesis at Utrecht University (The Netherlands)
