Stressed birds are more susceptible to becoming infected
with the food poisoning causing bacteria campylobacter than calm
ones.
This is according to
results
presented by an University of Bristol researcher at the Society
for Applied Microbiology's summer conference in Manchester earlier
this week.
Led by Tom Humphrey of the university's
Department of
Clinical Veterinary Science, the project in collaboration with
the UK poultry industry examined the behaviour of campylobacter in
chickens, of which there are approximately 400,000 cases of
campylobacter food poisoning in the UK each year.
Prof Humphrey highlighted that studies on bacteria like
campylobacter are traditionally carried out in conditions which may
not reflect the production environment.
Research in many countries has shown that after transport,
levels of bacteria like campylobacter are higher in the gut of food
animals than on the farm.
He added: "Work at Bristol has demonstrated that this may be
associated with the release of the stress hormone
noradrenalin.
This hormone makes campylobacter grow more quickly, become highly
motile and invasive, leading to an increase in its ability to cause
disease - its virulence."
A further finding is that campylobacter can interact with other
organisms in the bird's gut. "When this happens it can become even
more infective."
The results of this study provide vital information to enable
the control of infection in the production environment, making
chicken safer and decreasing cases of food poisoning.
Prof Humphrey added that the UK poultry industry is
already working hard to control campylobacter and that these
results will help advance scientific knowledge on the organism.
