Comparison of selective media for primary isolation of Campylobacter fetus subsp. jejuni

Abstract

Three selective media, Skirrow, Butzler and a modification of Butzler medium, were compared for the primary isolation of C. fetus ssp. jejuni. This organism was isolated from 87 of 347 specimens (72 from 240 dog rectal swabs and 15 from 107 cat rectal swabs). The positive rate for dogs (30%) was twice as high as that for cats (14%). Skirrow and Butzler media were comparable in their isolation of C. fetus ssp. jejuni. A significantly higher rate of positive results was obtained with modified Butzler medium. The best combination of 2 media was that of modified Butzler and Skirrow media, which detected 98% of the isolates obtained. The percentage of Campylobacter-positive specimens was increased by 9% by holding primary isolation plates for 72 h.