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Colonization of broilers by Campylobacter jejuni internalized within Acanthamoeba castellanii

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Abstract

Although Campylobacter survives within amoeba in-vitro, it is unknown if intra-amoeba Campylobacter jejuni can colonize broilers. Five groups of 28 day-of-hatch chicks were placed into separate isolators. Groups (1) and (2) were challenged with page’s amoeba saline (PAS), and disinfected planktonic C. jejuni NCTC 11168, respectively. Groups (3), (4) and (5) were challenged with a C. jejuni positive control, C. jejuni in PAS, and intra-amoeba C. jejuni, respectively. After 1, 3, 7 and 14 days post challenge, seven birds from each unit were examined for C. jejuni colonization. For the first time we report that intra-amoeba C. jejuni colonized broilers.

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Acknowledgments

William J. Snelling was supported by an Invest Northern Ireland RTD Networking Grant and The Northern Ireland Centre of Excellence in Functional Genomics, with funding from the European Union (EU) Program for Peace and Reconciliation, under the Technology Support for the Knowledge-Based Economy. We thank Susan Brooks and Latoya Wiggins of the USDA Agricultural Research Service for their technical assistance. We also acknowledge O’Kane Poultry for their support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK

    William J. Snelling, Colm J. Lowery, Emma Gibbons, Ciara Baker & James S. G. Dooley

  2. USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Poultry Microbiological Safety Research Unit, Athens, GA, 30604, USA

    Norman J. Stern

  3. Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, BT9 7AD, Northern Ireland, UK

    John E. Moore

Authors
  1. William J. Snelling
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  2. Norman J. Stern
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  3. Colm J. Lowery
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  4. John E. Moore
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  5. Emma Gibbons
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  6. Ciara Baker
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  7. James S. G. Dooley
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Correspondence to William J. Snelling.

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Communicated by Erko Stackebrandt.

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Snelling, W.J., Stern, N.J., Lowery, C.J. et al. Colonization of broilers by Campylobacter jejuni internalized within Acanthamoeba castellanii . Arch Microbiol 189, 175–179 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-007-0303-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-007-0303-0

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