26 June 2009 

As the weather warms up and people bring out the barbecue, food poisoning risks increase. Clinical Campylobacter infections, for example, are reported to contribute around fifty percent of all reported cases of infectious intestinal disease in the UK [1], with chicken an important source of the organism. Proper detection helps in managing the disease and microbiological culture media offer a straightforward method for isolating pathogens in food, environmental samples and faeces. 

Lab M’s Campylobacter culture media are designed to isolate Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, the two main pathogens responsible for Campylobacter enteritis. The range includes Campylobacter Blood Free Selective Medium, an improved version of CCDA (charcoal-cefoperazone-deoxycholate agar), and Campylobacter Enrichment Broth which uses the Bolton formulation.

A recent report by the Food Standards Agency in Scotland (FSAS)[1] identified retail chicken as the single largest source of Campylobacter food poisoning in that country. It also pointed to farm ruminants as infection sources. The FSAS research highlights the identification of infection in retail chicken, cattle and sheep as the first step to reducing the risks to consumers. 

Lab M’s Campylobacter media range supports the development of the necessary isolation and identification strategies. For example, Lab M Campylobacter Enrichment Broth enhances recovery of sub-lethally damaged organisms, providing an effective enriched broth for sub-culture onto selective media such as the company’s Campylobacter Blood Free Selective Medium.