Sahin O, Kobalka P, Zhang Q
Food Animal Health Research Program, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, and Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 50011, USA.
J Appl Microbiol. 2003;95(5):1070-9. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2672.2003.02083.x.
Campylobacter jejuni, a food-borne human pathogen, is widespread in poultry; however, the sources of infection and modes of transmission of this organism on chicken farms are not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine if vertical transmission of C. jejuni occurs via eggs.
Using a temperature differential method, it was shown that Campylobacter had limited ability to penetrate the eggshell. When C. jejuni was directly inoculated into the egg yolk and the eggs were stored at 18 degrees C, the organism was able to survive for up to 14 days. However, viability of C. jejuni was dramatically shortened when injected into the albumen or the air sac. When freshly laid eggs from Campylobacter-inoculated specific pathogen-free (SPF) layers were tested, C. jejuni-contamination was detected in three of 65 pooled whole eggs (5-10 eggs in each pool) via culture and PCR. However, the organism was not detected from any of the 800 eggs (80 pools), collected from the same SPF flock, but kept at 18 degrees C for 7 days before testing. Likewise, Campylobacter was not recovered from any of 500 fresh eggs obtained from commercial broiler-breeder flocks that were actively shedding Campylobacter in faeces. Also, none of the 1000 eggs from broiler breeders obtained from a commercial hatchery were positive for Campylobacter.
These results suggest that vertical transmission of C. jejuni through the egg is probably a rare event and does not play a major role in the introduction of Campylobacter to chicken flocks.
Control of Campylobacter transmission to chicken flocks should focus on sources of infection that are not related to eggs.
空肠弯曲菌是一种食源性人类病原体，在禽类中广泛存在；然而，该菌在养鸡场的感染源和传播方式尚不清楚。本研究的目的是确定空肠弯曲菌是否通过鸡蛋进行垂直传播。
采用温差法表明，弯曲菌穿透蛋壳的能力有限。将空肠弯曲菌直接接种到蛋黄中，鸡蛋在18℃储存时，该菌能够存活长达14天。然而，当接种到蛋白或气室中时，空肠弯曲菌的存活能力显著缩短。对来自接种弯曲菌的无特定病原体（SPF）蛋鸡的新鲜产蛋进行检测时，通过培养和PCR在65个混合全蛋（每个混合组5 - 10个蛋）中的3个中检测到了空肠弯曲菌污染。然而，从同一SPF鸡群收集的800个鸡蛋（80个混合组）中，在检测前于18℃保存7天，未检测到该菌。同样，从粪便中积极排出弯曲菌的商业肉种鸡群获得的500个新鲜鸡蛋中，也未分离到弯曲菌。此外，从商业孵化场获得的肉种鸡的1000个鸡蛋中，也没有一个弯曲菌检测呈阳性。
这些结果表明，空肠弯曲菌通过鸡蛋的垂直传播可能是一种罕见事件，在弯曲菌引入鸡群中不发挥主要作用。
控制弯曲菌向鸡群的传播应侧重于与鸡蛋无关的感染源。
