Intestinal colonization and competitive exclusion of Campylobacter fetus subsp. jejuni in young chicks.

Colonization of Campylobacter fetus subsp. jejuni was investigated in monoxenic and holoxenic chicks. In monoxenic chicks, major colonization was found in the crop and ceca, with populations in the ceca consistently reaching 10(9) colony-forming-units/ml of cecal contents over the 28-day test period. Bacteremia was found in most chicks, but no significant gross pathological lesions were detected. In holoxenic chicks, major colonization occurred only in the ceca, and no evidence of bacteremia was detected. Colonization by native gut microflora sharply reduced subsequent colonization by C. fetus subsp. jejuni. The protective mechanism is perhaps the same as that protective against paratyphoid salmonellae and pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli.