Genotype analyses of Campylobacter isolated from distinct segments of the reproductive tracts of broiler breeder hens

Campylobacter isolated from feces and from the oviduct of six broiler breeder hens were genotyped by using flaA SVR DNA sequence analyses. A diversity of genotypes was observed among fecal and oviduct isolates. Comparison of isolates from the oviducts of individual hens revealed variable results. In three cases (hen 2, hen 3, and hen 6), analyses indicated that isolates from all regions of the individual hen's reproductive tract were closely related; isolates from hen 1 and hen 4 were diverse. Comparison of the Campylobacter isolates between hens revealed that in two cases, hens I and 3 and hens 4 and 6, certain isolates possessed identical flaA SVR sequence types. Comparisons of Campylobacter isolates recovered from a distinct region of the oviduct were found to have increased diversity as sampling progressed down the oviduct. This study further demonstrates that Campylobacter is present within the reproductive tract of breeder hens and that this presence may enable vertical transmission of Campylobacter from the breeder hen to the broiler offspring.