Isolation, identification, and typing of Campylobacter strains from food samples

Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli are the bacterial species most commonly associated with foodborne illness worldwide. Methods for isolation of these organisms from complex food matrices rely on conditions that allow for the growth of these organisms while inhibiting competitors. This chapter reviews the methodologies developed to isolate, identify, and characterize C. jejuni and C. coli. Several of the unique requirements for growth have been incorporated in the different methodologies available for isolation of Campylobacter spp. from foods. The incorporation of DNA-based identification methods has improved the specificity and the speed at which results are now available. These DNA-based methods are also responsible for the rapid development of typing protocols with high resolution for epidemiological studies. This Chapter emphasizes the most efficient methods for isolation of Campylobacter from foods, and for the typing of isolates for epidemiological studies.