Prevalence of Salmonella and Campylobacter in retail chicken meat in Spain

From February to November 1999, 198 samples of chicken meat for sale in retail outlets and supermarkets in nine provinces of Castilla and Leَn (Spain) were analysed for the prevalence of Salmonella and Campylobacter. Salmonella was isolated from 71 (35.83%) of the samples analysed. The predominant serovars were S. enteritidis (47.88%), S. hadar (25.35%) and serotype 4,12:b:-(II) (19.71%). Other serovars such as S. mbandaka, S. derby, S. virchow and S. paratyphi B were isolated in much lower levels. Thermophilic campylobacters were isolated in 49.50% of the samples studied.