Campylobacter coli is an important species involved in human cases of enteritis, and chickens are carriers of the pathogen mainly in developing country. The current study aimed to evaluate the transmission of C. coli and its pathogenic effects in chicken embryos. Breeder hens were inoculated intra-esophageally with C. coli isolated from chickens, and their eggs and embryos were analyzed for the presence of bacteria using real-time PCR and plate culture. The viability of embryos was verified. In parallel, SPF eggs were inoculated with C. coli in the air sac; after incubation, the embryos were submitted to the same analysis as the embryos from breeder hens. In embryos and fertile eggs from breeder hens, the bacterium was only identified by molecular methods; in the SPF eggs, however, the bacterium was detected by both techniques. The results showed no relationship between embryo mortality and positivity for C. coli in the embryos from breeder hens. However, the presence of bacteria is a cause of precocious mortality for SPF embryos. This study revealed that although the vertical transmission is a possible event, the bacteria can not grow in embryonic field samples.

A campilobacteriose é uma infecção frequentemente adquirida pelo consumo de produtos de origem animal. O frango é o principal responsável na cadeia de transmissão da enfermidade. A radiação ionizante foi utilizada para verificar a redução da carga bacteriológica de Campylobacter jejuni presente em fígados de frango, que podem apresentar, in natura, contaminação em até 100% dos casos. As doses de irradiação utilizadas foram 0,20 kGy, 0,27 kGy, 0,30 kGy e 0,35 kGy, sendo as amostras adquiridas em aviário, supermercado de bairro, supermercado popular e supermercado de grande porte. O processamento das amostras foi feito no Setor de Campylobacter, FIOCRUZ, e as irradiações feitas na COPPE na UFRJ, com irradiador gama provido de fonte de Cobalto 60. Somente a amostra congelada, adquirida em supermercado de bairro, não continha a bactéria. Em todas as outras amostras, pôde-se observar a presença de Campylobacter sp., mesmo quando usados procedimentos e tecnologias que visam impedir sua presença no alimento e, consequentemente, proteger a saúde humana. Alguns resultados se apresentaram abaixo do esperado, porém é sabido que as condições de crescimento exigidas por esta bactéria são incomuns quando comparadas às de outros enteropatógenos.

Campylobacteriosis is an infection frequently acquired through the consumption of animal origin products. Chicken can be considered the main responsible cause in the transmission chain of this disease. Ionizing radiation was used to verify the reduction of the microbiological load of Campylobacter jejuni present in chicken liver, which, in natura, can present contamination in up to 100% of the cases. The doses of irradiation used were: 0.20 kGy, 0.27 kGy, 0.30 kGy and 0.35 kGy. The samples of chicken liver were acquired in aviaries, local supermarkets and large chain supermarkets. The samples were analyzed for Campylobacter at FIOCRUZ. Irradiation was performed at COPPE/UFRJ, using a Gamma Cell Irradiator with a 60Co gamma source. Only the frozen sample acquired at the local supermarket did not contain the bacterium. Campylobacter sp. was present in all other samples, even when using procedures and technologies that aimed at the impediment of the presence of this bacterium in food and, consequently, at the protection of human health. On the whole, the results were satisfactory; nevertheless, it is known that the bacterial growth conditions required by this bacterium are uncommon when compared to other enteropathogenic bacteria.

O mecanismo de resistência bacteriana ao mercúrio mais comum é baseada na redução do Hg(II) a Hg0, através da atividade da enzima mercúrio redutase (MerA). O uso do fragmento de 431 pb amplificado de uma região conservada do gene merA, que codifica a enzima MerA,foi utilizado como marcador molecular deste mecanismo, permitindo a identificação de bactérias resistentes ao mercúrio.

The most common bacterial mercury resistance mechanism is based on the reduction of Hg(II) to Hg0, which is dependent of the mercuric reductase enzyme (MerA) activity. The use of a 431 bp fragment of a conservative region of the mercuric reductase (merA) gene was applied as a molecular marker of this mechanism, allowing the identification of mercury resistant bacterial strains.

A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was performed on 167 thermophilic campylobacters isolated from non-human primates. Samples were first identified by phenotypic methods resulting in 64 Campylobacter jejuni and 103 C. coli strains. Four strains identified biochemically as C. coli, were then determined to be C. jejuni by PCR. Comparison of methodologies showed that the main discrepancies were attributed to the hippurate hydrolysis test and sensitivity to cephalothin and nalidixic acid. Analysis of data showed that the application of phenotypic methods should be supplemented by a molecular method to offer a more reliable Campylobacter identification.

O estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de identificar portadores assintomáticos do vibrião colérico em Manacapuru, AM, 1249 amostras fecais foram obtidas por swab retal e submetidas à análise bacteriológica. Vibrio cholerae O1 não foi detectado. Foram isolados e identificados: V. funissii em 12 (0,9%) amostras, V. fluvialis, em 4 (0,3%) e V. hollisae em 1 (0,1%).

The study was carried out to identify asymptomatic carriers of V. cholerae O1 in Manacapuru-Am. 1249 feces samples was obtained by rectal swab and cultivated. Had no growth of V. cholerae. On the other hand were isolated and identified: V. furnissii in 12 (0,9%) samples, V. fluvialis in 4 (0,3%) and V. hollisae in 1 (0,1%).