Location of Campylobacter jejuni in infected chicken livers.

To determine whether chicken livers infected with Campylobacter jejuni are seeded in vivo or contaminated after slaughtering, 117 livers purchased in retail outlets in New York were examined for surface and tissue infections. Of 56 livers positive for C. jejuni, 36 yielded surface growth only, 18 both surface and tissue growth, and 2 tissue growth only. The scanty growth from tissue samples suggests a carry-over of organisms from the surface. It was concluded, therefore, that contamination is most likely due to unhygienic handling of offal. Infection rates of livers varied from retailer to retailer.