IPSF: Campylobacter survival in poultry litter
Campylobacter experiences rapid die-off in litter at elevated temperatures
15 April 2026
1 minute read
By: [Excerpts of a presentation by Kassim Sulleyman and colleagues at Auburn University, US, during the 2026 International Poultry Scientific Forum]
Campylobacter is a major foodborne pathogen commonly associated with poultry production environments, where litter can serve as a persistent source of contamination for birds. This study evaluated the survival of Campylobacter jejuni in poultry litter under varying moisture and temperature conditions. Litter samples (≤8% moisture) were adjusted to three moisture levels (15%, 20%, and 30%) and held at three temperatures: 4°C (39°F), 42°C (107°F) and 50°C (122°F). The study design had a total of nine treatments based on moisture-temperature combinations.
A ciprofloxacin-resistant C. jejuni marker strain was inoculated into 300 grams of poultry litter for each treatment to achieve an initial concentration of 8 log CFU/g for a bench-top study. Following inoculation, poultry litter was held under microaerobic conditions using 2-gal ziptop bags at different temperature/moisture conditions. For each treatment, 10 grams of litter was sampled three times at 8 hours, 16 hours, 24 hours, 36 hours, and 48 hours. Samples were enumerated on Campy Cefex agar after incubation at 42°C (107°F) for 48 hours under microaerobic conditions.
The results showed that Campylobacter survived only in the samples stored at 4°C (39°F) for 8, 16, and 24 hours, regardless of moisture content. However, at 36 and 48 hours, counts were below the limit of detection (<CFU/g). Campylobacter was not detected at any other temperature or time point. Since Campylobacter was not recovered from any samples stored at 42°C (107°F) or 50°C (122°F), these treatments were excluded from statistical modeling, and a generalized linear model was applied to assess differences among the 4°C (39°F) samples only. It was found that for each 1% increase in moisture at 4°C (39°F), Campylobacter were 1.005 (0.96 - 1.046; 95% CL) times as likely to be detected in litter (p=0.80).
These findings demonstrate that Campylobacter experiences rapid die-off in litter under all tested conditions, especially at elevated temperatures. Overall, the study highlights how quickly Campylobacter loses viability in litter, underscoring its limited ability to survive in the environment outside the host. Findings from this work provide insights into pathogen persistence under diverse on-farm conditions and may support improved litter management strategies to reduce Campylobacter prevalence in poultry production systems.
