Quantification of Campylobacter carriage in pigs using a real-time PCR assay

Campylobacter species are the major agent of bacterial gastroenteritis. C. jejuni and C. coli together are responsible for more than 95% of all cases of Campylobacter induced diarrheal d1sease 1n developped countries R1sk analysis shows consumption of foods of animal origin to be a maJor source of human 1nfect1on Pigs are known to be frequently infected with Campylobacter and to exh1bit h1gh counts of th1s pathogen in their faeces. The study descnbes a rap1d, sens1tive. and spec1fic real-t1me polymerase cham react1on (PCR} assay capable of detecting and quantifying Campylobacter sp., C. JBJUnl and C. coli directly from faecal samples. The description of excretion of Campylobacter was carried out by inoculating pigs with three different strams of Campylobacter. one C. coli of porcine origin, one C. coli and one C jejuni of poultry ongm, alone or m a mix. The number of Campylobacter excreted in faeces was determ1ned by numeration on Karmali plates and by the real time PCR assay. The quantitative PCR results were cons1stent w1th data obtamed by the bactenolog1cal method Two days after the inoculation. the inoculated p1gs excreted from 104 to 106 CFU of Campylobacter per gramme of faeces. These levels of excret1on were s1m1lar to those observed 1n the fattening p1gs after spontaneous mfection Moreover, the real time PCR allowed species-specific detection of Campylobacter Indeed, when p1gs were Infected w1th a m1x of the three strams, the PCR showed that C. co/1 was predominant.