Food safety control on poultry farms: effective control of Campylobacter Xiang Liu, University of Tennessee, USA; Irene Hanning, Lincoln International Academy, Nicaragua; Sandra Diaz-Sanchez, SaBio IREC, Spain; and Jun Lin, University of Tennessee, USA

Food safety control on poultry farms: effective control of Campylobacter Xiang Liu, University of Tennessee, USA; Irene Hanning, Lincoln International Academy, Nicaragua; Sandra Diaz-Sanchez, SaBio IREC, Spain; and Jun Lin, University of Tennessee, USA

1 Introduction

2 Campylobacter: general features and epidemiology

3 Improving biosecurity in the farm

4 Antimicrobial therapy and increased host resistance

5 Boosting the immune response

6 DNA vaccines

7 Conclusions

8 Acknowledgements

9 Where to look for further information

10 References

The zoonotic pathogen, Campylobacter, is the leading cause of foodborne illness worldwide. Campylobacter colonizes the intestinal tract of chickens, which is the primary host for the bacterium. In chickens, this pathogen is considered commensal and does not cause illness or have adverse impacts on production performance. The farm is the first point in the food production chain; for this reason, control in the farm could reduce the risk of campylobacteriosis. A number of methods aim at controlling Campylobacter in the farm. To date, no single method is truly effective. Using multiple methods along with a good biosecurity programme is currently the most effective control method. However, many other methods are being designed and optimized to further reduce the risk of campylobacteriosis to the public. The objective of this chapter is to summarize and discuss the literature available regarding the current methods that are available or being developed to control Campylobacter spp. in the farm.