Professor Tom Humphrey of Swansea University in Wales gave a presentation entitled ‘Campylobacter: important human and chicken pathogens’. According to Humphrey, Campylobacter is currently the most significant pathogen that can be transmitted from animals to humans through meat. In that framework, more attention should be given to Campylobacter than to Salmonella at present. Currently around the world, Campylobacter is causing a massive number of infections and inflammations.
One big problem in the fight against Campylobacter at this time is that there are no concrete measures that can be taken to prevent meat from being contami-nated. The only advice that can be given to consumers is that they should thoroughly roast or cook chicken meat.
According to Van Immerseel, the group of professor Pasmans at Ghent University is currently working on research that involves developing Campylobacter antibodies to be used as feed additives. The antibodies attach themselves to the Campylobacter bacterium, thus impeding the bacterium in its interaction with the chicken gut.
These antibodies can then be added to compound feeding stuffs. “They expect to be able to say within months whether it’s going to work or not,” said Van Immerseel. According to the professor, the poultry sector worldwide has Salmonella increasingly under control. “Laying hens are vaccinated and, in respect of broilers, the focus is on good hygiene and decontamination measures.”
Excerpts from presentation at the IHSIG termed One world,One health.
