Comparison of 2 types of broths and 3 selective agars for the detection of Campylobacter species in whole-chicken carcass-rinse samples.

In this study, we compared the effectiveness of 2 types of Bolton broths and 3 selective media for isolating Campylobacter spp. from naturally contaminated whole-chicken carcass-rinse samples. One hundred chickens were rinsed with buffered peptone water, and the rinses were added to 2× Bolton broth (with or without blood supplementation). The samples were incubated and then streaked onto Preston agar, modified cefoperazone charcoal deoxycholate agar (mCCDA), and Campy-Cefex agar, which was followed by incubation under microaerobic conditions. No statistical differences were observed (P > 0.05) in isolation rate and selectivity between the 2 types of Bolton broths. Among the 3 selective agars, Preston agar yielded a significantly (P < 0.05) better isolation rate and selectivity. The Campy-Cefex agar, which is recommended by many food authorities for its high quantitative detection ability, showed extensive contamination with competing microorganisms and exhibited the lowest isolation rate and selectivity.