Raw beef, pork and chicken in Japan contaminated with Salmonella sp., Campylobacter sp., Yersinia enterocolitica, and Clostridium perfringens--a comparative study.

One hundred and twenty samples each of raw ground beef, pork and chicken from ten local grocery stores in Shimane Prefecture, Japan, were examined for the presence of Salmonella sp. (Sal), Campylobacter jejuni (Cj), Campylobacter coli (Cc), Yersinia enterocolitica (Ye), and Clostridium perfringens (Cp) from April 1984 to March 1985. A total of 205 isolates of Sal (112 strains), Cj (64 strains), Cc (one strain), Ye (7 strains) and Cp (21 strains) were recovered from 17 beef (14.2%), 31 pork (25.8%) and 94 chicken (78.3%) of 120 samples each. Sal biogroup 1 was found in 8.3% of beef, 13.3% of pork and 35.0% of chicken, Sal biogroup 2 in 0.8% of beef, 4.2% of pork and 14.2% of chicken, Cj in 1.7% of beef and pork and 50.0% of chicken, Cc in 0.8% of pork, Ye serotype 03 was found in 5.0% of pork, and Cp in 1.7% of beef and pork and 10.8% of chicken. These enteropathogens were recovered concomitantly from two pork and 31 chicken samples, especially Sal and Cj. Sal was counted at less than or equal to 10(2)/100 g of beef and pork and at less than or equal to 10(3)/100 g of chicken, Cj was counted at less than or equal to 10(1)/g of beef and pork and at less than or equal to 10(2)/g of chicken, Ye serotype 03 was counted at less than or equal to 10(3)/g of pork, Cp was counted at less than or equal to 10(2)/g of pork and at less than or equal to 10(2)g of chicken, and Cc from pork and Cp from beef were recovered by using enrichment culture. This investigation showed that a second-contamination of Sal and Cj from chicken to beef and pork frequently occurred during the warm months of the year. It was suggested that chicken may become a source of infection with plural organisms of enteric pathogens, especially Sal and Cj, at the same time all the year round, and that pork may be an important source of infection with Ye during the cold months.