--- title: The Prevalence of Campylobacter in Food and Elsewhere date: 2021-01-04T19:43:00-08:00 author: admin canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter/campylobacter-prevalence" section: Resource Library --- [Foodborne Illnesses](/foodborne-illnesses) / [Campylobacter](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter) / # The Prevalence of Campylobacter in Food and Elsewhere ### How prevalent is *Campylobacter* food contamination? *Campylobacter* infection is commonly associated with the consumption of raw (unpasteurized) milk, undercooked poultry, and contaminated water; however, most *Campylobacter* cases are sporadic and are never traced back to a specific food or beverage. Because of this, historically, very few foods have been recalled due to the presence of *Campylobacter* bacteria. ![](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/aboutcampylobactercom-images/outbreaks/image3.jpeg)From 2007-2012, *Campylobacter* was the pathogen responsible for illness in 62 outbreaks associated with raw milk, making it responsible for 81% of all such illnesses during the five-year span. The source of *Campylobacter* contamination of raw milk is likely cattle feces, although inoculation of the milk may also occur directly as a result of bovine mastitis. Aside from the consumption of contaminated milk, since 1992, other food products remain the most common vehicle for the spread of *Campylobacter*, and chicken is the most commonly implicated. As one authority points out, “commercially raised poultry is nearly always colonized with *C. jejuni*, slaughterhouse procedures amplify contamination, and chicken and turkey in supermarkets, ready for consumers to take home, frequently is contaminated.” ![](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/aboutcampylobactercom-images/outbreaks/image4.jpeg)A United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Baseline Data Collection Program done in 1994 documented *Campylobacter* contamination on 88.2% of broiler-chicken carcasses. Subsequent USDA data collection showed an estimated 46.7% prevalence of *Campylobacter* in chicken and 1.46% in turkeys. Retail chicken testing performed by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) suggests that prevalence of *Campylobacter* in chicken has declined, noting a decrease from 60% in 2004 to 24% in 2015. Recovery of *Campylobacter* in the aforementioned 2015 NARMS study was lowest in poultry and highest in bovine and swine cecal (intestinal) samples. *Campylobacter* is also prevalent in wild birds of all kinds. With poultry, contamination levels peak during the summer months, and this seasonal pattern is reflected in the number of reported *Campylobacter* infections. One poultry product that has gained more attention recently related to *Campylobacter* infection is chicken livers. Twenty-eight outbreaks were attributed to chicken livers from 2000 to 2016, 89.2% of which were caused by *Campylobacter*. Although chicken livers are recommended to be cooked to the same internal temperature as whole or ground muscle poultry, they are often served undercooked in dishes such as pâté. [ Next: Transmission of Campylobacter jejuni › ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter/campylobacter-transmission) ### More information about Campylobacter [January 11, 2022 ###### Preventing Campylobacter Outbreaks: What you need to know Campylobacter jejuni grows poorly on properly refrigerated foods but does survive refrigeration and will grow if contaminated foods are left out at room temperature. The bacterium is sensitive to heat ... ](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/preventing-campylobacter-outbreaks-what-you-need-to-know) [October 28, 2012 ###### The Family Farm Raw Milk Campylobacter Lawsuit – Pennsylvania (2012) The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed at least 80 cases of Campylobacter infections in an outbreak tied to contaminated unpasteurized milk from The Family Cow dairy, located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. ... ](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/the-family-farm-raw-milk-campylobacter-lawsuit-) [January 01, 2009 ###### Kinikin Dairy Raw Milk Campylobacter Outbreak - Colorado (2009) At least 8 people were sickened with Campylobacter from consuming raw milk produced by the Kinikin Corner Dairy in Montrose, Colorado. The dairy was ordered to stop production of raw ... ](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/kinikin-dairy-raw-milk-campylobacter-colorado) [November 23, 2008 ###### Alexandre EcoDairy Raw Milk Campylobacter Outbreak Lawsuit - California (2008) In the summer of 2008, an outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni in Del Norte County, California (near the Oregon border) that sickened 16 people was traced to Alexandre EcoDairy Farm raw ... ](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/alexandre-ecodairy-campylobacter-outbreak-in-raw-milk) [1. View all ](/news_events/outbreaks?illness=campylobacter&year=all) ## All Campylobacter Resources [###### Campylobacter Food Poisoning ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter/about-campylobacter) [###### The Incidence of Campylobacter Infections ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter/campylobacter-incidence) [###### The Prevalence of Campylobacter in Food and Elsewhere ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter/campylobacter-prevalence) [###### Transmission of Campylobacter jejuni ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter/campylobacter-transmission) [###### Symptoms of Campylobacter infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter/campylobacter-symptoms-risks) [###### Complications of Campylobacter Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter/campylobacter-complications) [###### Diagnosis of a Campylobacter Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter/campylobacter-diagnosis) [###### Treatment for Campylobacter Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter/campylobacter-treatment) [###### The Economic Impact of Campylobacter Infections ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter/campylobacter-economic-impact) [###### Real Life Impacts of Campylobacter Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter/real-life-impacts-of-campylobacter-infection) [###### Mari Tardiff's Story ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter/mari-tardiffs-story) [###### How Can Campylobacter Food Poisoning Be Prevented? ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter/campylobacter-prevention) [###### Campylobacter Outbreaks ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter/campylobacter-outbreaks) [###### Campylobacter References ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter/campylobacter-references) ### Other foodborne illnesses [E. coli](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli) [Salmonella](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella) [Listeria](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria) [Hepatitis A](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/hepatitis-a) [Reactive Arthritis](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/reactive-arthritis) [Guillain-Barre Syndrome](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/guillain-barre-syndrome) [Irritable Bowel Syndrome](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/irritable-bowel-syndrome) [Norovirus](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus) [Botulism](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism) [Shigella](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella) [Cyclospora](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/cyclospora) [Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/hemolytic-uremic-syndrome)