Chapters authored
Isolation and Identification of Campylobacter spp. from Food and Food-Related Environment
Campylobacter species are among the most common causes of bacterial gastroenteritis in humans worldwide. The genus Campylobacter consists of at least 39 validly published species with wide distribution in various hosts and environments, which are either pathogens for humans or animals, or not pathogenic as identified so far. Various methods have been used for detecting campylobacters including conventional culture methods, molecular (such as polymerase chain reaction), immunological methods and genome sequencing. Currently, isolation and subsequent identification of the target campylobacters are required by most of the regulatory bodies globally. The multiple Campylobacter species exhibit diverse physiological and metabolic characteristics and growth requirements, which can interfere with the sensitivity and specificity of culture-dependent methods. Furthermore, strains among each species may behavior differently in various culture media and under various culture conditions. Therefore, it is important to apply appropriate isolation and identification methods for different types of species and samples based on specific purposes. This chapter will review the development and the current status of culture-dependent methods for the isolation and detection of various Campylobacter species from food and food-related environments during the next generation sequencing era.
Part of the book: Campylobacter