Campylobacter – an underestimated threat

Steadily underestimated, nevertheless dangerous: Campylobacter. Food related diarrhoea is not exclusively caused by Salmonella bacteria – Campylobacter caused diarrhoea occurs just as often. Its world wide effect concerns everyone suffering from travel diarrhoea. Especially during the hot summer months an increased infection rate occurs, often particularly in meat products (especially poultry). Prevent contamination of your products by these globally spread pathogenic germs.

Food related, bacteria induced diarrhoea is mainly traced back to Salmonella bacteria. However, Salmonella germs are not always to blame. In Germany, it is estimated that Campylobacter caused diarrhoea occurs just as often. Its world wide effect concerns everyone suffering from travel diarrhoea. Especially during the hot summer months an increased infection rate occurs in Europe. Even though children under the age of 12 are affected most by the infections, adolescents between 18 and 35 years started to show increased infection rates as well. These patterns are associated with specific Campylobacter species (C. jejuni, C. coli, cf. below). In total, even a general increase of Campylobacter infections can be observed. Campylobacter bacteria thus constitute a so far much underestimated threat.

The pathogen Campylobacter

Its genus comprises the so-called thermophile Campylobacter species C. jejuni, C. coli and C. lari of which all are identified as pathogenic organisms to humans and furthermore associated with diarrhoea infections. The genus is composed of spiral shaped bacteria (Spirilla) which are Gram-negative, micro-aerophile and uni-polarly flagellated. Phylogenetically the bacteria are member of the Epsilonproteo bacteria. They are mostly contained in meat (especially poultry). The conventional cultivation dependent detection procedures for Campylobacter are time consuming and require skilled personnel specialised in each particular germ species.

VIT-Campylobacter: The easy and highly-specific detection system

But vermicon developed a new test system which detects fast and reliably all 3 thermophile species of Campylobacter.

The detection system can be applied on-site in the production facility and is easy-to-use. In comparison to the cultivation dependent reference method according to ISO 10272, VIT-Campylobacter saves 3-4 days of analysis time. VIT-Campylobacter thus provides you with mandatory certainty as well as highest specificity in order for you to make vital decisions during your daily production processes and to prevent fatal errors.

Prevent product contamination and get more information about VIT-Campylobacter online.