Short-term evidence of Campylobacter in a treatment plant and drain water of a connected poultry abattoir

• Published in: Water environment research 1996-03, Vol.68 (2), p.188-193
• Main Authors: Koenraad, P.M.F.J. (Food Inspection Service, Den Bosch, The Netherlands.), Jacobs-Reitsma, W.F, Beumer, R.R, Rombouts, F.M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ABATTOIR; ABATTOIRS; ACTIVATED SLUDGE; AGRICULTURAL WASTE; AGUAS RESIDUALES; Antimicrobials; BACTERIA; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; BOUE ACTIVEE; CAMPYLOBACTER; CELL COUNTING; CHICKENS; CONTEO DE CELULAS; DECHET; DESECHOS; Drains; DRUGS; EAU USEE; EFFLUENT; Food Chemistry and Microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Levensmiddelenchemie en -microbiologie; LODOS ACTIVADOS; MATADEROS; MEDICAMENT; MEDICAMENTOS; Microbiology; NUMERATION CELLULAIRE; Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains; POLLO; POULET; POULTRY; Quinolones; Research Papers; RESISTANCE AUX PRODUITS CHIMIQUES; RESISTANCE TO CHEMICALS; RESISTENCIA A PRODUCTOS QUIMICOS; Serotyping; SLAUGHTERHOUSE WASTE; Slaughterhouses; TRAITEMENT DES EAUX USEES; TRATAMIENTO DE AGUAS RESIDUALES; VLAG; WASTES; WASTEWATER; WASTEWATER TREATMENT; Water purification; Water samples
• ISSN: 1061-4303; 1554-7531
• DOI: 10.2175/106143096X127370

To study the prevalence of Campylobacter in a purification plant, the numbers of Campylobacter in the wastewater and the effluent of an activated sludge system and in the drain water of a poultry abattoir, connected with this plant were determined in three 24-hour periods. To study transmission routes, the Campylobacter isolates were identified by Penner serotyping and by antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The poultry abattoir drain water was considerably contaminated with Campylobacter (average >5.1${\rm log}_{10}$MPN/100 mL). The numbers of Campylobacter present in the wastewater and the effluent of the activated sludge system did not increase significantly during the sampling period. The purification resulted in a reduction of 1${\rm log}_{10}$unit, but Campylobacter was still detectable in the activated sludge effluent. Patterns in the antimicrobial susceptibility and serotypes did not match for the various types of samples, and therefore, no transmission route could be deduced. This incongruity of patterns may be due to growth competition during the enrichment. Therefore, enrichment procedures are not recommendable for studies on transmission routes.