Requirements to control Campylobacter infection in poultry: investigations of the role of immune responses and development of new prevention strategies

弯曲杆菌病是德国最常见的细菌性食源性感染。研究表明，食用禽肉是造成42%的人类弯曲杆菌病的原因.然而，在家禽中，这些微生物属于正常肠道植物群，不会引起临床疾病。因此，证明难以从商业家禽中消除弯曲杆菌。另一方面，风险分析表明，家禽肠道弯曲杆菌负荷的减少将导致人类疾病的显着减少。因此，减少人类弯曲杆菌病的概念应集中在弯曲杆菌的定量减少上。到目前为止，只有很少的信息存在关于弯曲杆菌菌株之间的差异，其持久性和脱落的诱导鸡的局部和全身免疫反应。此外，先天免疫和细胞诱导机制在控制鸟类弯曲杆菌感染中的作用仍然未知，尽管这是开发改进的控制策略的先决条件。在食品生产链的所有阶段减少弯曲杆菌，将能够更有效地最大限度地减少。由于噬菌体在农场和屠宰场的使用似乎是可能的，因此必须评估它们在整个食品生产链中的联合应用是否成功。建议的研究合作的目标是：（1）了解弯曲杆菌菌株在定殖、脱落和消除方面的差异，以及与其局部和全身免疫反应相关的尸体污染;（2）在弯曲杆菌实验性攻毒模型和田间条件下，在肉用型鸡中，以噬菌体制剂为基础，制定新的控制策略。

Campylobacteriosis is the most frequently reported bacterial food borne infection in Germany. It was demonstrated that poultry meat consumption was responsible for 42 % of the human campylobacteriosis cases. However, in poultry the organisms belong to the normal intestinal flora without inducing clinical disease. Therefore it proved to be difficult to eliminate Campylobacter from commercial poultry. On the other hand, risk analysis showed that reduction of poultry’s intestinal Campylobacter load will result in a marked decrease in human illness. Thus, concepts to minimize human campylobacteriosis should focus on the quantitative reduction of Campylobacter. So far, only scanty information exists concerning the differences between Campylobacter strains with respect to their persistence and shedding in relation to the induction of local and systemic immune reactions in chickens. Additionally, the role of innate immunity and cell induced mechanisms to control Campylobacter infections in birds still remains unknown, though being a prerequisite for the development of improved control strategies. The reduction of Campylobacter in all stages of the food production chain shall enable a more effective minimization. Since the use of bacteriophages seems possible on farm level as well as in the abattoir, their combined application’s success throughout the food production chain has to be evaluated. The objectives of the suggested research cooperation will be (1) to understand differences between Campylobacter strains regarding their colonization, shedding and elimination as well as carcass contamination in correlation to their local and systemic immune reactions; (2) to develop new control strategies on the basis of bacteriophage preparations in experimental Campylobacter challenge models and under field conditions in meat-type chickens.