Comparison of Media for the Detection of Campylobacter jejuni Using a Commercial RT-PCR System

• Published in: Pathogens (Basel) Vol. 14; no. 2; p. 166
• Main Authors: Olson, Elena G, Bodie, Aaron R, Tarcin, Haley A, Rubinelli, Peter M, Applegate, Savannah F, Stephens, Tyler P, Rothrock, Jr, Michael J, Ricke, Steven C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 08.02.2025; MDPI
• Subjects: Animals; Bacteriological Techniques - methods; Campylobacter; Campylobacter Infections - diagnosis; Campylobacter Infections - microbiology; Campylobacter Infections - veterinary; Campylobacter jejuni; Campylobacter jejuni - genetics; Campylobacter jejuni - growth & development; Campylobacter jejuni - isolation & purification; Chickens; Culture Media - chemistry; detection; enrichment; Enrichment media; Food contamination; Food contamination & poisoning; Food Microbiology - methods; Food safety; Guillain-Barre syndrome; Microbiota; Mueller–Hinton; Pathogens; Peptones; Performance evaluation; Poultry; Poultry - microbiology; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Regression analysis; Reproducibility of Results; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; RT-PCR; Sensitivity and Specificity; Variance analysis; United States > US; enrichment; detection; RT-PCR; Mueller–Hinton; Campylobacter jejuni
• ISSN: 2076-0817; 2076-0817
• DOI: 10.3390/pathogens14020166

The accurate quantification of in poultry samples is critical for ensuring food safety and compliance with regulatory standards. This study evaluated the performance of three enrichment media-Mueller-Hinton Broth (MHB), Bolton's Blood-Free Broth 2x (BFBB2x), and Buffered Peptone Water (BPW)-in supporting detection and quantification using the BAX Q7-RT PCR system and traditional plate count methods. Results demonstrated high reliability across all media types, with BFBB2x and MHB showing the strongest correlations (R = 0.99) for the BAX system. BFBB2x exhibited the lowest RMSE (0.13), while MHB balanced precision (RMSE = 0.4) with sensitivity. For plate counts, MHB and BPW achieved the highest correlations (R = 0.99) and precision (RMSE = 0.26), with MHB demonstrating the lowest detection limit (2.56 log CFU/mL) compared to BFBB2x (2.93 log CFU/mL) and BPW (3.31 log CFU/mL). The findings underscore MHB's robustness as an enrichment medium, offering consistent performance across both molecular and culture-based methods. The current study supports MHB as the more effective medium for the reliable and precise quantification of in poultry-associated matrices, highlighting its utility in minimizing contamination risks and enhancing food safety. Future research should explore its applicability in diverse poultry products and production environments.