ABSTRACT The analysis of Salmonella in the feces and the birds’ environment is a way of monitoring the colonization in the flocks and verifying the need for the introduction of stricter controls, in such a way that the results of the tests should be known before being sent for slaughter. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR), as well as other rapid methods represent alternatives increasingly used to detect enteric pathogens, but they need proof of effectiveness for their wide use. The aim of this study was to evaluate the equivalence between the results obtained by the methods: real-time PCR (BAX® System), Modified Rappaport-Vassiliadis Semi-solid Medium (MSRV) (ISO 6579) and the traditional method of official reference in Brazil for research of S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis in poultry samples. Two hundred and fifty-two samples of disposable shoe covers (DSC) and 252 samples of feces were infected with an average of 2 to 3 log CFU/g of each serovar, and the same samples without fortification were evaluated by the three methods. Five hundred and four diagnoses were obtained with satisfactory results in terms of repeatability (greater than 80%), reproducibility (mean 83,1%), sensitivity (81% to 100%), specificity (95% to 100%), and accuracy (90% to 100%). The compliance test verified that there was not a significant difference between the alternative and the official methods, allowing us to state that the methodologies have had equivalent performances.

Abstract Campylobacteriosis is a worldwide foodborne zoonosis disease caused by Campylobacter jejuni. This microorganism is considered a commensal bacterium in chicken hosts. C. jejuni produces epithelial cell modifications and induces a cytokine gene transcription innate immunity repertoire. In the present study, we describe the invasiveness, morphological cellular modifications, and transcript level expressions of innate immune cytokines from C. jejuni-inoculated chicken ileum explants. C. jejuni was internalized by epithelial ileum cells at 15 minutes postinoculation (p.i.) and was detected intracellularly for 4hs (p.i.). Inoculated explants displayed significant increases in cell height. C. jejuni induced a significant elevation of Transforming Growth Factor Beta 3 (TGF-b3) and Interleukin-1b (IL-1b) transcripts. In conclusion, C. jejuni is internalized in explanted epithelial ileum cells, produces morphological cell modifications, and induces gene transcription of both anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of turmeric (Curcuma longa), also known in Brazil as saffron, on the reduction of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli counts in chicken meat. Forty breast meat samples were divided in two groups (A and B). In group A, 10³-10(4)E. coli (ATCC 25922) cells were inoculated and group B samples were inoculated with 10(4)-10(5)S. aureus (ATCC 9801) cells, after which each group was divided in three samples. The first sample was analyzed immediately after inoculation. The second sample (control group) was stored at 4 ºC for 48 hours and turmeric at 1% (w/w) was added to the third sample, which was homogenized and then stored under the same conditions as the second sample. E. coli and S. aureus were enumerated in all samples. Mean bacterial counts determined for the control samples and for the samples with turmeric addition after 48h of storage were 1.83 x 10(4) CFU g-1 and 1.80 x 10(4) CFU g-1 for S. aureus, and 9.36 x 10³ CFU g-1 and 7.25 x 10³ CFU g-1 for E. coli, respectively. The results showed that there was no significant reduction in bacterial counts with the addition of 1% turmeric to chicken breast meat.