New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts

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Campylobacter and farm dairy effluent irrigation

C. Ross
A. Donnison

AgResearch
Private Bag 3123
Hamilton, New Zealand

Abstract   Campylobacter were studied at a mole-tile drained farm over a 12-month period. Farm dairy effluent was applied to the farm in January, October, and November. In January, herd 1 was on the farm and effluent that contained 10³ campylobacter 100 ml^-1 was sourced from a storage pond. In October and November herd 2 was on the farm and effluent that contained 10⁵ and 10⁶ campylobacter 100 ml^-1 respectively was sourced from the dairy shed. In January and November, when irrigation caused preferential flow, concentrations in the drainage water were similar to those in the applied effluent, creating a potential for water contamination. C. jejuni was the predominant campylobacter species recovered. Only one subspecies type (i.e., one Penner serotype and one PFGE type) was observed in the effluent, drainage water, and soil samples collected after the January application. This recovery of a single subtype allowed tracing from effluent into drainage water and soil. In contrast, several subspecies types were observed after the October and November applications, and the study demonstrated that when there is a diversity of subtypes, typing was less effective as a means of tracking campylobacter. Penner serotyping of C. jejuni in these effluents revealed serotypes linked to the human illness, campylobacteriosis.

Keywords   Campylobacter jejuni; farm dairy effluent; irrigation; mole-tile drainage; PFGE; Penner serotyping

A02069; Received 9 December 2002; accepted 21 May 2003; online publication date 9 September 2003
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 2003, Vol. 46: 255-262
0028-8233/03/4603-0255 $7.00/0 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2003

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