Campylobacter contamination in retail poultry meats and by-products in Japan: A literature survey

Campylobacter species are common bacterial pathogens that cause gastroenteritis in humans worldwide. In Japan, campylobacteriosis is the leading food-borne bacterial illness, and the consumption of poultry meats and/or by-products is suspected to be the major cause of this illness. In this review, we summarized the papers describing Campylobacter contamination of retail poultry meats and by-products in Japan, most of which were written in Japanese, for estimating the nationwide situation of Japan. On the average, the prevalence of Campylobacter contamination in retail poultry meats and by-products was approximately 60%; this contamination level is comparable to those observed in North America and Europe. Campylobacter jejuni was the dominant species isolated from retail poultry, and Penner serotype 2 and 4-complex were the predominant serotypes of C. jejuni. A large section of poultry was contaminated with Campylobacter spp. at levels that were adequate to induce gastroenteritis if the meat consumed was raw or undercooked. Moreover, quinolone resistance was frequently found in poultry isolates. This review provides detailed and referable data on Campylobacter contamination of retail poultry meats and by-products in Japan, especially for researchers of other countries.