Abstract #145

# 145
Prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in bulk tank milk and filters from US dairies.
Laura P. Del Collo*1,3, Jeffrey S. Karns1, Debabrata Biswas3, Jason E. Lombard2, R. Camilla Kristensen2, Charles P. Fossler2, Jo Ann S. Van Kessel1, 1USDA-ARS-NEA Environmental Microbial and Food Safety Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, 2USDA:APHIS:VS:Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, Fort Collins, CO, 3Dept. of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD.

Campylobacter spp. is an important zoonotic bacterial pathogen that caused the majority of US outbreaks associated with nonpasteurized milk from 2007 to 2012. Bulk tank milk and milk filter samples were collected from 234 dairy operations in 17 top dairy states from March through July 2014 as part of the National Animal Health Monitoring System’s Dairy 2014 study. Overall, 234 bulk tank samples and 396 milk filter samples were collected. Bulk tank and milk filter pairs were collected from 231 operations, and only bulk tank samples were collected from 3 operations. Bulk tank milk and buffered peptone water extracts of milk filters were enriched in Bolton Broth and struck onto mCCDA plates. A real-time PCR method was used to determine the presence of pathogenic species (C. jejuni, C. coli, and C. lari) in enrichments and to confirm isolates. Analysis of prevalence (%) incorporated operation weights to reflect the population from which samples were collected. Positive operations were those with either a positive milk filter or a positive bulk tank sample (or both). PCR indicated the presence of pathogenic Campylobacter spp. in enrichments from 24.3% of operations, while isolates were obtained from 12.0% of operations. Campylobacter was more frequently identified in samples from operations in the west region than in the east region (46.5% and 21.8%, respectively) and was more common in medium and large operations than in small operations (42.8%, 47.3%, and 4.9%, respectively). Based on multiplex PCR analysis, 41 (91.3%) of the Campylobacter isolates were C. jejuni, 3 were C. lari, and 1 was identified as C. coli. This first national survey of Campylobacter spp. in bulk tank milk and milk filters suggests that pathogenic Campylobacter spp. are common on US dairies and, therefore, are a continued risk for foodborne disease outbreaks.

Key Words: Campylobacter, bulk tank milk, milk filter