Campylobacter in food production chain in Vojvodina Province

Abstract

Enteritis campylobacterialis has an increasing trend in Serbia. Human illness usually appears as sporadic case, most commonly in children with obvious seasonality. In registered outbreaks, incriminated food was most frequently poultry meat. Campylobacter is one of the most important food borne pathogens, commonly underreported, mostly because isolation of this bacteria requires specific equipment. Since 1 January 2019, monitoring of Campylobacter in poultry carcasses is mandatory when it comes to poultry production facilities in Serbia. The aim of this paper was to analyze data from Autonomous Province of Vojvodina about the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in poultry meat and risk for human illness. Our results indicate high prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in whole food chain: poultry farms, slaughterhouses, retail and, correspondingly, high risk for consumers in Vojvodina. Measures for risk reduction of disease incidence include better bio security measures on the farm level as a main source of pathogen but also introduction of Campylobacter diagnostic equipment in all human diagnostic and food control laboratories.