Investigations of two chicken processing plants in The Netherlands have shown that large contamination with Campylobacter jejuni can exist on birds, equipment, hands of processing-line workers and in air samples from the processing facility. This contamination appeared only to be of intestinal origin. Intestinal contents of birds to be processed contained up to 107 C. jejuni per gram. Contamination of birds was reduced during scalding at 58°C, but this reduction was not always observed at 51.8°C. The number of C. jejuni on carcasses increased during defeathering and evisceration. Large numbers of C. jejuni were washed off the carcasses when a spinchiller was used. When air-cooling was employed, C. jejuni in some instances died off, probably due to drying. End-products from these chicken processing plants contained C. jejuni in 50% of carcasses and 75% of livers.

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Aims:The reference methods for enumeration of total coliforms and Escherichia coli as stated in the European Drinking Water Directive were compared with alternative methods. Methods and Results: Laboratories used the reference method on Lactose TTC agar (LTTC), the Colilert Ò /18 system, Laurysulphate Agar (LSA), Chromocult Ò Coliform Agar and the E. coli Direct Plating (DP) method. They enumerated more total coliforms on LTTC than on LSA. Conclusions: LTTC is suitable for analysis of very clean water samples only, due to heavy background growth. Colilert Ò /18 is a good alternative but it enumerates a broader group of total coliforms, resulting in higher counts. The DP method appeared to be the best choice for enumeration of E. coli because Colilert Ò /18 produces lower counts and false-negative results.Significance and Impact of the Study: This study shows the limitations of the EU reference method on LTTC due to lack of selectivity and suggests alternative methods for the enumeration of total coliforms and E. coli.

The occurrence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in indoor swimming pools in the Netherlands was studied at five locations. The backwash water from seven pool filters was analysed for the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts for a period of 1 year. Of the 153 samples of filter backwash water analysed, 18 (11.8%) were found positive for either Cryptosporidium (4.6%), Giardia (5.9%) or both (1.3%). Oocysts and cysts were also detected in the water of one toddler pool and one learner pool. Although most of the (oo)cysts in the filter backwash water were dead, viable and potentially infectious oocysts were detected in the learner pool. On the basis of numbers of potentially infectious (oo)cysts detected in the learner pool, and assuming one visit to an infected pool per year, risk assessment indicated an estimated risk of infection with Cryptosporidium that exceeded the generally accepted risk of one infection per 10,000 persons per year. Guidelines for pool operators on how to manage faecal accidents and public information on the importance of hygiene in swimming pool complexes are recommended tools in controlling the risk of infection.

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