Prevalence, quantification and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter spp. on chicken neck-skins at points of slaughter in 5 major cities located on 4 continents.

Quantitative data on Campylobacter contamination of food are lacking, notably in developing countries. We assessed Campylobacter contamination of chicken neck-skins at points of slaughter in 5 major cities in Africa (Dakar in Senegal, Yaounde in Cameroon), Oceania (Noumea in New Caledonia), the Indian Ocean (Antananarivo in Madagascar) and Asia (Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in Vietnam. One hundred and fifty slaughtered chickens were collected in each of the 5 major cities from semi-industrial abattoirs or markets (direct slaughter by the seller), and 65.

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella serotypes in chickens from retail markets in Yaounde (Cameroon).

From February 2006 to January 2007, 150 chickens were collected from eight retail markets in Yaounde, and 90 (60%) tested positive for Salmonella. Seventy-nine chickens were contaminated with only one Salmonella serotype, 10 with two different serotypes, and 1 with four serotypes. The most prevalent serotypes were Enteritidis (47 strains) and Hadar (29 strains).

Antimicrobial resistance and molecular characterization of Vibrio cholerae O1 during the 2004 and 2005 outbreak of cholera in Cameroon.

There was an outbreak of cholera in Cameroon during 2004 and 2005; the epidemic began in Douala in January 2004 and spread throughout the south of the country. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 8005 cases in 2004 and 2847 cases in 2005. Five hundred eighty-nine stool samples were received in the Pasteur Centre of Cameroon and 352 were microbiologically confirmed to be positive for Vibrio cholerae O1.

An acute foodborne outbreak due to Plesiomonas shigelloides in Yaounde, Cameroon.

We investigated an acute foodborne outbreak in Yaounde, Cameroon, following a private party. Plesiomonas shigelloides, which has rarely been reported as the causative agent of foodborne outbreaks, was strongly suspected. The unusual short incubation period suggested the presence of a preformed toxin within the incriminated food.