Impact of disinfectant wipes on the risk of Campylobacter jejuni infection during raw chicken preparation in domestic kitchens

Abstract

Aims: In the present study, we conducted a quantitative microbial risk assessment forecasting the exposure to Campylobacter jejuni contaminated surfaces during preparation of chicken fillets and how using a disinfectant-wipe intervention to clean a contaminated work area decreases the risk of infection following the preparation of raw chicken fillet in a domestic kitchen.

Methods and results: Using a Monte Carlo simulation of the risk of transferring Camp. jejuni strain A3249, from various surfaces to hands and subsequently transferring it to the mouth was forecasted. The use of a disinfectant-wipe intervention to disinfect contaminated surface area was also assessed. Several assumptions were used as input parameters in the classical Beta-Poisson model to determine the risk of infection. The disinfectant-wipe intervention reduced the risk of Camp. jejuni infection by 2-3 orders on all fomites.

Conclusions: The use of disinfectant wipes after the preparation of raw chicken meat reduces the risk of Camp. jejuni infections.

Significance and impact of the study: This risk assessment shows that the use of disinfectant wipes to decontaminate surface areas after chicken preparation reduces the annual risk of Camp. jejuni infections up to 99·2%, reducing the risk from 2 : 10 to 2 : 1000.

Keywords: Campylobacter jejuni; disinfectant wipes; fomite-to-hand transfer; nonporous surfaces; quantitative microbial risk assessment.