Campylobacter Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Campylobacter, including details on food poisoning, infection, symptoms, treatment.

Campylobacter and Salmonella in raw red meats in the United Kingdom: prevalence, characterization and antimicrobial resistance pattern, 2003-2005.

Little CL, Richardson JF, Owen RJ, de Pinna E, Threlfall EJ

Health Protection Agency, Department of Gastrointestinal, Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, HPA Centre for Infections, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK. christine.little@hpa.org.uk

The prevalence of Campylobacter and Salmonella was assessed in 3959 raw red meats in the UK during 2003-2005. Meats were more frequently contaminated with Campylobacter (7.2%) than with Salmonella (2.4%). Lamb and other meats (e.g. mutton, rabbit) exhibited the highest contamination from Campylobacter (12.6% and 19.8%, respectively), compared with pork (6.3%) and beef (4.9%). Pork however had the highest contamination from Salmonella (3.9%), followed by lamb (2.0%), other meats (2.0%) and beef (1.3%). Offal samples (36.6%) were more frequently contaminated with Campylobacter or Salmonella than muscle tissue (7.0%). C. jejuni predominated in all meat types. C. coli isolates were more likely to exhibit antimicrobial drug resistance, including quinolones, than C. jejuni. Salmonella typhimurium was the most frequent Salmonella serotype isolated from meats; S. typhimurium DT104/104b isolates exhibited higher rates of multiple drug resistance than other serotypes. The findings reinforce the importance of adequate cooking of meat and good hygiene to avoid cross-contamination.

Published 21 March 2008 in Food Microbiol, 25(3): 538-43.
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