Reference | Salaheen2016 (20019)

A total of 787 pre-harvest non-produce samples including 430 samples from seven MCL farms and 357 samples from four conventional poultry farms were collected over a period of 27 months starting from June 2012 to August 2014 in Maryland and the DC metropolitan area. The samples were processed and analysed for the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. especially C. jejuni and C. coli. The MCL farms are denoted as farm [1] laying hen, broiler, produce; farm [2] laying hen, broiler, goat, pigs, produce; farm [3] laying hen, broiler, produce; farm [4] laying hen, broiler, goat, pigs, produce; farm [5] laying hen, broiler, goat, produce; farm [6] laying hen, broiler, vegetables; farm [7] cattle, produce. The farms which agreed to cooperate with this study were selected, and these farms were from four different counties of Maryland State. We aimed to collect similar number and types of samples from each of the farms in at least two visits. We also collected fresh produce samples from six of the above MCL farms (190 samples), four organic farms producing only produce (150 samples) and five only produce producing conventional farms (160 samples) from the same area. Types and numbers of samples analysed in this study are summarized in Table 1. To reduce seasonal variability, all the samples were collected during the summer months, that is June to August of 2012, 2013 and 2014. We also tracked the farmers markets and retail shops where products from these farms were commonly sold, and samples were collected to determine post-harvest level contamination of Campylobacter in the vegetables and poultry meat products. To determine the post-harvest contamination of vegetables and chicken meat samples in organic and conventional retail supermarkets as well as farmers markets, we collected a total of 1281 post-harvest samples including 446 samples from seven farmers markets, 341 samples from three organic retail supermarkets and 494 samples from three conventional retail supermarkets from Maryland and the DC metropolitan area. Post-harvest vegetable samples included lettuce, spinach, tomato, strawberry, beets, cucumber, basil, chard, zucchini and pepper. For post-harvest chicken meat samples, we collected whole chicken and approximately five samples were prepared per lb of chicken meat. We analysed the data considering both a whole chicken carcass as one sample as well as five samples from a one lb chicken meat.

All samples were aseptically collected and placed into Whirl-Pak (Nasco, Fort Atkinson, WI, USA) and were transported to the laboratory in an ice-cold carrier and processed immediately. Solid samples were collected using sterilized spoons and placed into sterile Whirl-Pak bags. Faecal samples (~10 g each) were collected from poultry house and green grasses following a zigzag pattern throughout the entire pasture area or poultry house. Feed samples (~50 g each) were taken from two sources: directly from the storage and feeding trough. For compost samples, the upper layer was removed and samples (~10 g each) were collected from at least a few inches below the surface. Approximately 25 g of each vegetables and leafy green samples were accumulated in sterile bags. We also collected water samples (~800 ml each) using sterile serological pipette (VWR, Radnor, PA, USA).

AST Method: None

Reference explicitly reports AST breakpoints: False

Reference reports using a MIC table: False