Campylobacteriosis is assumed to be mainly a food-borne disease. Also the
importance of milk as a source of human Campylobacter enteritis was confirmed
by the European Union summary report on food-borne disease outbreaks.
Therefore, the present study was undertaken to detect the prevalence of
Campylobacters in milk and milk products. A total of 250 samples (100 milk, 50
Domiati cheese, 50 kareish cheese and 50 ice-cream) were collected from the
different collection points in El-Minia and Beni-Suef Governorates. The samples
were examined by microbiological culture method, and presumptive isolates were
further confirmed by genetic amplification (PCR) using specific primers of
hippuricase gene.The overall prevalence of Campylobacter species were 13% in
raw milk, 52% in kareish cheese, 18% in Domiati cheese and 6% in ice-cream. PCR
amplification of hipO gene of isolated C. jejuni from the milk and milk products
samples had been shown identical fingerprints with human isolates at 323bp,
which indicates the zoonotic hazards of Campylobacter jejuni in Egypt.