Rapid and Specific Methods to Differentiate Foodborne Pathogens, Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, and the New Species Causing Spotty Liver Disease in Chickens, Campylobacter hepaticus

Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli play a major role in bacteria-related foodborne illness in humans. Recently, a newly identified species, Campylobacter hepaticus, was shown to be the causative agent of spotty liver disease in chickens. The pathogenic potential of C. hepaticus in humans is unknown. This new species contains genes usually used to detect C. jejuni and C. coli in DNA-based detection methods, such as the hippuricase (hipO) gene and the glyA (serine hydroxymethyltransferase) gene, with a high degree of similarity. Therefore, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers used to detect these species need to be evaluated carefully to prevent misidentification of these important Campylobacter species. A multiplex PCR was developed and optimized to simultaneously and specifically identify the presence of C. jejuni, C. coli, and C. hepaticus in chicken samples containing high-complexity microbiota. The assay represents a new diagnostic tool for investigating the epidemiology of Campylobacter colonization in poultry and environmental samples. It may also be applicable to the investigation of Campylobacter contamination in food and in outbreaks of campylobacteriosis.