Genetic diversity of Campylobacter on broiler carcasses collected preevisceration and postchill in 17 U.S. poultry processing plants.

Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are the most important human enteropathogens among the campylobacters. The objective of this study was to determine how diversity in Campylobacter populations found on chicken carcasses collected from 17 broiler processing plants in the United States is impacted by processing. Genetic diversity was determined for up to four isolates per carcass by sequencing the short variable region (SVR) of the flaA locus. On 70% of Campylobacter-positive carcasses, all isolates were indistinguishable by flaA SVR typing. The genetic diversity of Campylobacter decreased as carcasses proceeded through processing; Campylobacter populations obtained early in processing where carcasses are moved from the kill line to the evisceration line (rehang) were significantly more genetically diverse (P < 0.05) than those from carcasses sampled postchill (diversity indices of 0.9472 and 0.9235, respectively). Certain Campylobacter subtypes were found only at rehang and not at postchill. Other subtypes were found at postchill and not at rehang. These data suggest that some subtypes may not be able to survive processing, whereas others may persist on the carcass or within the equipment despite stressors encountered in the processing environment.