Prevalence of Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and hepatitis E virus in swine livers collected at an Abattoir

Abstract

We investigated the prevalence of Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and hepatitis E virus (HEV) in swine liver.We collected swine livers from 110 pigs at an abattoir from September 2010 to March 2011. Pathogens were detected in the liver samples of 19 (17.3z) pigs. Campylobacter spp. were isolated from the liver samples of 14 (12.7z) pigs. In 10 of the 14 Campylobacter-positive pigs, bacteria were present in the internal regions of the liver. Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogenes were detected in the liver samples of 5 (4.5z) pigs and 1 (1z) pig, respectively. No HEV was detected in the swine liver samples tested. Regarding antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter and Salmonella isolates, all isolates, except 1 Campylobacter jejuni isolate, were resistant to 1 or more antimicrobial agent. Campylobacter spp. resistant to erythromycin and/or enrofloxacin were isolated from the liver samples of 9 (8z) pigs. These results suggest that the consuming swine liver without proper heat treatment may increase the risk of foodborne illnesses.