Modified enrichment strategies coupled with molecular and conventional methods to detect and quantify Campylobacter jejuni in chicken meat from the market

Campylobacter spp. are currently the bacterial foodborne pathogen that causes the highest number of gastrointestinal diseases in developed countries, according to the World Health Organization. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of four Campylobacter enrichment broths: Bolton broth, Bolton broth with blood, Preston broth and Preston broth with blood using both culture-dependent methods and an optimized quantitative PCR (qPCR) protocol. The enrichment in Bolton Broth with blood allowed most positive samples for Campylobacter jejuni to be detected when 40 chicken meat samples from the market were tested. Correlation between cultural methods and molecular methods was poor. Only in a few cases could C. jejuni and Campylobacter spp. be identified by PCR. Out of 480 colonies isolated throughout the enrichment process, only 7 colonies could be identified as Campylobacter spp., three of which were C. jejuni. Enrichment of chicken meat samples with Bolton broth added with blood, coupled with qPCR resulted to be the most suitable method to detect samples contaminated with C. jejuni.