Abstract

Campylobacter jejuni is one of the most important foodborne gastroenteric zoonosis. Most strains of C. jejuni produce a toxin (cytolethal distending toxin) that hinders the cells from dividing and produces diffuse bloody edematous exudative enteritis. The common routes of transmission are fecal-oral, person-to-person and the eating of raw or undercooked chickens or meat. This study recognizes the incidence of zoonotic C. jejuni in under cooked chickens and meat meals along with persons in contact. We examined 640 grilled chickens and 733 fast meat meals, plus 93 of symptomatic consumers and handlers were collected from five Egyptian governorates (Fayuom, Cairo, Qaluobia, Bin-suef and Assuit) from different restaurants through culture-based methods for detection of Campylobacter motility. Also, molecular tools were used for genetic amplification by PCR using specific primers of hipO gene. Contamination with C. jejuni was recorded in 21.5% in chickens (16.6% in grill tissues and 26.2% in raw visceral organs) and 16% in fast meat meals (18.2% Offal, 15.2% Sausages, 20.4% Hamburger, 13.2% Kofta and 14.5% Shawarma), plus 19.4% in Egyptian personnel's (25.8% in handlers and 19.4% in symptomatic consumers). The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed identical fingerprints of Campylobacter parvum at 344 bp, signifying the high possibilities of zoonotic hazards. Dissimilar incidence of chickens, meat and humans were verified with reference to different governorates, but Assuit recorded higher percentages sequence to hot weather. The collected documents in this study can offer a base for the progress of public health requisites for advances in food safety measures.

Key words: Campylobacter jejuni, chickens, fast meat meals, consumers, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Egypt.