Elucidation of cross-contamination in cooking environments causing foodborne campylobacteriosis

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K02350
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 08030:Family and consumer sciences, and culture and living-related
• Research Institution: Osaka Institute of Public Health
• Principal Investigator: NAKAMURA Hiromi 地方独立行政法人 大阪健康安全基盤研究所, 微生物部, 主幹研究員 (00332445)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 野本 竜平 神戸市健康科学研究所, その他部局等, 副部長 (60642238)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: Campylobacter / ふきとり / 調理環境 / リアルタイムPCR / P-BIT / Typing / バイオフィルム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we attempted to quantitatively detect Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) and C. coli genes and estimate the number of these bacterial cells. We collected swab samples among facilities from the cooking environment of 16 retail small restaurants. The 156 swab samples were collected and real-time PCR (qPCR) was used to detect C. jejuni and C. coli. Based on the results of qPCR, 23 samples (14.7%) from 11 facilities were positive of C. jejuni gene. The qPCR results showed that the estimated number of bacteria in the handle of the faucet was relatively high, equivalent to 69 cfu per site (Ct value 34.4), while all other samples were less than 10 cfu (Ct value between 38.4 and 44.7). Quantitative detection of Campylobacter genes by qPCR is considered to be a useful method for estimating cross-contamination in the cooking environment.

Free Research Field

衛生微生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

カンピロバクター食中毒の原因施設として最も多い飲食店の調理環境におけるカンピロバクターの二次汚染実態を把握することにより、飲食店における生鶏肉の取り扱いについての実態を知ることができ、食品衛生監視・指導業務に役立てられる。また、カンピロバクター遺伝子の定量的な検出法を確立することによって、これまで原因不明とされていた食中毒の原因究明に繋がる可能性がある。