Campylobacter spp. isolation from infected poultry livers with and without necrotic lesions

Phi coefficient calculated in order to measure the degree of association, revealed a highly significant association (Phi = 0.472; p-value < 0.01) between the presence of livers with hepatic necrosis lesions and Campylobacter isolation. This result indicates the possibility of using these macroscopic lesions as visible and reliable indicator of Campylobacter spp. presence in poultry flock, and, thus, becoming an important tool to support the implementation of corrective measures at poultry farms level. This methodology could contribute for an accurate time-efficient monitoring and the development of effective prevention and intervention measures for Campylobacter spp. infection with reduced cost.