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This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter and Salmonella isolates from retail poultrymeat in the UK during 2003–2005. Poultrymeat (n = 2104) were more frequently contaminated with Campylobacter (57.3%) than with Salmonella (6.6%). Chicken exhibited the highest contamination from Campylobacter (60.9%), followed by duck (50.7%), turkey (33.7%) and other poultrymeat (34.2%). Duck had the highest contamination from Salmonella (29.9%), compared with chicken (5.6%), turkey (5.6%), and other poultrymeat (8.6%). C. jejuni predominated in raw chicken, whereas C. coli predominated in turkey and duck. C. coli isolates were more likely to exhibit antimicrobial drug resistance, including quinolones, than C. jejuni. Salmonella Enteritidis was the most frequent Salmonella serotype isolated. Salmonella isolates from turkey exhibited higher rates of multiple drug resistance (55.6%) than isolates from chicken (20.9%) and duck (13.6%). The findings reinforce the importance of thorough cooking of poultrymeat and good hygiene to avoid cross-contamination.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all the staff in the Environmental Health Departments throughout the UK who collected samples during this study, all the staff in the Official Food Control Laboratories who performed the microbiological examinations. Thanks are also extended to LEP, HPA Centre for Infections, for typing the Salmonella and Campylobacter isolates, David Lock, LACORS for coordinating the participation of Environmental Health Practitioners and advice from the LACORS Food Examination Focus Group, to the Regional FWE Coordinators Forum for their advice in preparing the sampling protocols, and to Lilian Hucklesby for co-ordinating data entry.