Broiler chicken carcasses and their associated abattoirs as a source of enterotoxigenic <em>Clostridium perfringens</em>: Prevalence and critical steps for contamination

Marie-Lou Gaucher; Alexandre Thibodeau; Philippe Fravalo; Marie Archambault; Julie Arsenault; Sylvain Fournaise; Ann Letellier; Sylvain Quessy; Marie-Lou Gaucher; Alexandre Thibodeau; Philippe Fravalo; Marie Archambault; Julie Arsenault; Sylvain Fournaise; Ann Letellier; Sylvain Quessy

doi:10.3934/microbiol.2018.3.439

AIMS Microbiology

2018, Volume 4, Issue 3: 439-454. doi: 10.3934/microbiol.2018.3.439

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Research article

Broiler chicken carcasses and their associated abattoirs as a source of enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens: Prevalence and critical steps for contamination

1.
Research Chair in Meat Safety, Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 Sicotte, St-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
2.
Swine and Poultry Infectious Diseases Research Centre (CRIPA), Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 Sicotte, St-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
3.
Olymel S.E.C./L.P., Québec, Canada, 2200 Avenue Léon-Pratte, St-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada

Received: 22 March 2018 Accepted: 31 May 2018 Published: 13 June 2018

Clostridium perfringens ranks among the three most frequent bacterial pathogens causing human foodborne diseases in Canada, and poultry meat products are identified as a source of infection for humans. The objective of the current study was to estimate the proportion of broiler chicken flocks, carcasses and various environmental samples from critical locations of the slaughter plant positive for the presence of C. perfringens enterotoxin encoding gene (cpe). From the 16 visits conducted, 25% of the 79 flocks sampled, 10% of the 379 carcasses sampled and 5% of the 217 environmental samples collected were found positive for cpe. The proportion of cpe-positive carcasses was statistically different between surveyed plants, with 17.0% for one abattoir and 2.2% for the other. For the most contaminated plant, cpe-positive carcasses were identified at each step of the processing line, with prevalence varying between 10.0% and 25.0%, whereas this prevalence varied between 0% and 25.0% for the environmental surfaces sampled. Based on the results obtained, enterotoxigenic C. perfringens strains could potentially represent a risk for the consumer.
- broilers,
- slaughterhouse,
- steps,
- Clostridium perfringens,
- enterotoxin,
- prevalence
Citation: Marie-Lou Gaucher, Alexandre Thibodeau, Philippe Fravalo, Marie Archambault, Julie Arsenault, Sylvain Fournaise, Ann Letellier, Sylvain Quessy. Broiler chicken carcasses and their associated abattoirs as a source of enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens: Prevalence and critical steps for contamination[J]. AIMS Microbiology, 2018, 4(3): 439-454. doi: 10.3934/microbiol.2018.3.439

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Abstract

Clostridium perfringens ranks among the three most frequent bacterial pathogens causing human foodborne diseases in Canada, and poultry meat products are identified as a source of infection for humans. The objective of the current study was to estimate the proportion of broiler chicken flocks, carcasses and various environmental samples from critical locations of the slaughter plant positive for the presence of C. perfringens enterotoxin encoding gene (cpe). From the 16 visits conducted, 25% of the 79 flocks sampled, 10% of the 379 carcasses sampled and 5% of the 217 environmental samples collected were found positive for cpe. The proportion of cpe-positive carcasses was statistically different between surveyed plants, with 17.0% for one abattoir and 2.2% for the other. For the most contaminated plant, cpe-positive carcasses were identified at each step of the processing line, with prevalence varying between 10.0% and 25.0%, whereas this prevalence varied between 0% and 25.0% for the environmental surfaces sampled. Based on the results obtained, enterotoxigenic C. perfringens strains could potentially represent a risk for the consumer.

References

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