[Occurrence of Campylobacter and salmonellas in relation to liver changes in slaughtered poultry].

On the occasion of slaughter, 97 laying chickens, 100 broilers, 48 geese and 36 ducks were examined for Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. in liver, small intestine and caeca. Pathological changes in the liver were recorded. Campylobacters and salmonellas were isolated from 61 and 18% of the laying chickens, 63 and 3% of the broilers, 54 and 15% of the geese and from 81 and 39% of the ducks, respectively. Birds with diseased liver were found more often infected with campylobacters and salmonellas than those without. This correlation could be gathered from the isolation rates from the liver and from the intestine. The occurrence of campylobacters and salmonellas together in the liver was only observed in individuals with pathological changes of the liver. The own findings suggest that besides salmonellas also campylobacters can be responsible for diseases of the liver.