Author : Douang Ngeun Bounlom

Summary : The detection of Campybacter jejuni was done to determine the level of contamination of chicken carcasses soil in the main public market in Los Ba¤os, Laguna, Philippines. A total of 120 rinse samples collected from four different types of fresh chilled eviscerated whole chicken carcasses were analyzed using enrichment before plating onto campylobacter blood-free selective agar base with antibiotic supplement (Oxoid, CCDA). In addition, a total of 150 pooled cecal samples collecte from three different healthy chicken groups : broiler, layer, and native chicken were also analyzed for presence of C. jejuni in the cecal content which may contaminate the chicken carcasses during dressing procedures. Unfortunately, C. jejuni was not found from rinse samples analyzed. However, C. jejuni was found in the cecal samples using both enrichment and direct plating methods with a total isolation rate of 14 percent (21 of 150 cecal samples). The isolation rate obtained by the use of enrichment method was higher, 17.33 percent (13 of 75 samples) than those obtained from direct plating, 10.67 percent (8 of 75 samples). No statistical significant association was observed number of the positive isolates and the techniques used in the isolation (P>0.05), whereas there was a highly significant difference between the proportion of the positive isolates of C. jejuni obtained from the cecal content of three different chicken groups (P<0.0005). In addition, a single isolate C. jejuni obtained from the cecal specimen of healthy chicken was tested for its pathogenicity ability by detection of enterotoxin using infant mouse inouclation. The result obtained from the present study did not indicate the ability of produce enterotoxin by the C. jejuni isolate tested.