Isolation and characterization of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli from domestic and wild mammals in Norway

A total of 1,262 domestic and wild mammals from Norway were surveyed for fecal carriage of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. Of the five species of domestic mammals examined, the highest isolation rate was recorded among swine (100.0%), followed by sheep (8.1%) and cows (0.8%). No strains were recovered from horses or goats. Among wild mammals, C. jejuni was isolated from 1 of 23 hares, and no isolated were obtained from three species of cervids and three species of rodents. Of the 133 Campylobacter strains isolated, 114 were classified as C. coli, 18 were C. jejuni biotype 1, and 1 belonged to C. jejuni biotype 2. All 114 strains from swine were C. coli. Milk samples from 113 domestic animals with clinically diagnosed mastitis (106 cows, 5 sheep, 1 horse, and 1 pig) were negative for campylobacters.</jats:p

Serotyping of Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, and Campylobacter laridis from domestic and wild animals

By using 50 unabsorbed antisera, we were able to serotype 272 (65.7%) of 414 thermotolerant campylobacters from wild and domestic animals, on the basis of heat-stable antigens identified by means of passive hemagglutination. Forty-two serotypes were recognized. The pattern of serotypes detected in the various animal species was compared to human clinical isolates by using the Czekanowski index (proportional similarity index). The highest degree of similarity to the clinical isolates was observed for the poultry isolates, followed by strains from wild birds, flies, and pigs (in order of decreasing similarity). The serotypes recovered most frequently from poultry (LAU 1 and LAU 2) were also most prevalent in Norwegian patients. In contrast, serotype LAU 35/44, the predominant porcine serotype, was never recovered from human clinical specimens. Flies captured in chicken farms and in piggeries harbored serotypes which were also commonly seen in chickens and pigs, respectively. Nine of the strains included in this study could not be ascribed to any defined species. All of these were resistant to nalidixic acid and did not produce H2S.</jats:p

Outbreak of Salmonella Kedougou in Norway associated with salami, April-June 2006

Nasjonalt folkehelseinstituttet (the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, NIPH) has recently completed the investigation of a nationwide outbreak</jats:p