The prevalence of Campylobacter and

The prevalence of Campylobacter and Salmonella was assessed in 3959 raw red meats in the UK during 2003–2005. Meats were more
frequently contaminated with Campylobacter (7.2%) than with Salmonella (2.4%). Lamb and other meats (e.g. mutton, rabbit) exhibited
the highest contamination from Campylobacter (12.6% and 19.8%, respectively), compared with pork (6.3%) and beef (4.9%). Pork
however had the highest contamination from Salmonella (3.9%), followed by lamb (2.0%), other meats (2.0%) and beef (1.3%). Offal
samples (36.6%) were more frequently contaminated with Campylobacter or Salmonella than muscle tissue (7.0%). C. jejuni
predominated in all meat types. C. coli isolates were more likely to exhibit antimicrobial drug resistance, including quinolones, than
C. jejuni. Salmonella typhimurium was the most frequent Salmonella serotype isolated from meats; S. typhimurium DT104/104b isolates
exhibited higher rates of multiple drug resistance than other serotypes. The findings reinforce the importance of adequate cooking of
meat and good hygiene to avoid cross-contamination.