Evaluation of a commercial automated ELISA and PCR-method for rapid detection and identification of Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli in poultry products Original Research Article

Two rapid methods for detection and identification of Campylobacter jejuni andCampylobacter coli in naturally contaminated poultry products were evaluated for their applicability in routine studies. These methods were a commercial automated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of thermophilic campylobacters in food, and C. jejuni -specific Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, which included a sample preparation method, based on Buoyant Density Centrifugation (BDC). Both methods were applied to the samples (97 samples) after a 48h enrichment procedure. The automated ELISA proved to be an easily repeatable and reliable method for detection of thermophilic campylobacters in food. The BDC-PCR method, which detected C. jejuni directly from the enrichment broth, was also reliable but not as simple as the ELISA. The analysis time for the ELISA-based method, starting from enrichment, took a minimum 2·5 working days, while the BDC-PCR method required 3 working days. Our study with a limited number of samples suggest that both detection methods are useful for monitoring C. jejuni on chicken meat.