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SAC Poultry Research Contributes to Campylobacter Project
Campylobacter (opens in new window)
SAC’s Head of Avian Research, Dr Nick Sparks from Ayr is involved in two new research projects included in a £4m package investigating Campylobacter.
The bacterium causes well over 400,000 cases of food poisoning a year in the UK, costing up to £600m annually. The most common source of infection is poultry meat.
In one project Nick Sparks will work with Dr Ken Forbes, University of Aberdeen in integrating microbiology and modelling to determine the source of Campylobacter infection in the broiler house. If some strains of infection are found to be more important than others it will be easier to identify the most appropriate and effective control measures.
In another project Dr Sparks will make an assessment of the efficacy of a range of on-farm biosecurity measures for controlling Campylobacter. Practical, on-farm, commercial testing of these will help scientists, regulators and industry identify the most suitable ways to reduce infection in chicken flocks.
The package of 12 projects, which bring together researchers from a range of disciplines are part of a cross- government research and innovation strategy on Campylobacter which includes Scottish Government. It was agreed in 2010. The overall programme will be managed by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Food Standards Agency and DEFRA.