Cutting boards can serve as potential carriers for the cross-contamination of pathogens from chicken to other surfaces. This study aimed to assess chefs’ handling practices of cutting boards across five provinces in China and identify the key factors contributing to unsafe cutting board usage, including cleaning methods and handling practices. Handling practices associated with cutting boards were examined through a web-based survey (N = 154), while kitchen environment tests were conducted to investigate the splashing or survival of Campylobacter, inoculated in chicken or on cutting boards, to mimic the practices of chefs. Among chefs in the five provinces of China, wood and plastic cutting boards were the most commonly used for preparing chicken meat. Approximately 33.7% of chefs washed boards with running tap water, 31.17% of chefs washed boards with detergent, and 24.03% of chefs cleaned boards by scraping them with a knife after preparing other meats or chicken. The study tested 23 cutting boards from commercial kitchens for Campylobacter presence before and after chicken preparation and cleaning. Among these, 17 were cleaned with a knife, 5 with running tap water, and only 1 with disinfectant. Results showed that cleaning with a knife significantly reduced Campylobacter presence on cutting boards (p < 0.05), while the three main cleaning methods were inadequate in eliminating contamination to a safe level. In kitchen environment tests, contaminated chicken was chopped on cutting boards, with a maximum distance of 60 cm for low contamination, and 120 cm for medium and high contamination levels. This suggested a contamination risk exposure area ranging from 60 cm to 120 cm. Campylobacter survival on surfaces of wood, plastic, and stainless steel was also tested, with plastic surfaces showing the longest survival time (4.5 h at 15 °C and 3.5 h at 25 °C) In comparison, survival time on stainless steel or wood surfaces was only 3 h, implying a cross-contamination risk exposure period of 3 to 4.5 h after chicken preparation. In conclusion, based on the current study data, the practices employed by chefs play an important role in Campylobacter transfer in the kitchen environment. The presence of Campylobacter on cutting boards even after wiping or droplet splashing highlights its potential as a source of cross-contamination in the kitchen environment. So, chefs in China should reinforce their hygiene culture and adopt effective cutting board cleaning practices to prevent pathogen contamination.

Campylobacteriosis is the most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. Consumption of chicken meat is considered the main route for human infection with Campylobacter. This study aimed to determine the critical factors for Campylobacter cross-contamination in Chinese commercial kitchens during chicken handling. Five commercial kitchens were visited to detect Campylobacter occurrence from 2019 to 2020. Chicken samples (n = 363) and cotton balls from the kitchen surfaces (n = 479) were collected, and total bacterial counts and Campylobacter spp. were detected. Genotypic characterization of 57 Campylobacter jejuni isolates was performed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). In total, 77.41% of chicken carcass samples and 37.37% of kitchen surfaces showed Campylobacter spp. contamination. Before chicken preparation, Campylobacter spp. were already present in the kitchen environment; however, chicken handling significantly increased Campylobacter spp. prevalence (p < 0.05). After cleaning, boards, hands, and knives still showed high bacterial loads including Campylobacter spp., which related to poor sanitary conditions and ineffective handling practices. Poor sanitation conditions on kitchen surfaces offer greater opportunities for Campylobacter transmission. Molecular typing by MLST revealed that Campylobacter cross-contamination occurred during chicken preparation. The most prevalent sequence types, ST693 and ST45, showed strong biofilm formation ability. Consequently, sanitary condition of surfaces and biofilm formation ability of isolates were the critical points contributing to spread of Campylobacter in kitchen environment. These results provide insight into potential targeted control strategies along the farm-to-plate chain and highlight the necessity for improvements in sanitary conditions. The implementation of more effective cleaning measures should be considered to decrease the campylobacteriosis risk.

This study supplied malic acid-supplemented drinking water to flocks that were naturally Campylobacter-positive and assessed the effect of feeding malic acid to chickens on Campylobacter reduction and poultry production. In Experiment 1, chickens were provided with malic acid-supplemented drinking water for three weeks. The contamination loads of Campylobacter were decreased by 0.91–0.98 log after the first week of use (p < 0.05). However, this effect did not persist over time and significant decontamination could not be found in the second and third weeks of application. Thus, in Experiment 2 malic acid-supplemented drinking water was given to chickens for a period of five days at slaughter age. The Campylobacter carriage was found to be effectively decreased by 1.05–1.55 log (p < 0.05). Malic acid had no adverse effects on chicken body weight, weight gain, intestinal indices, or the microbiota. In addition, it could change the composition of chicken meat since the moisture content was increased by 5.12–5.92% (p < 0.05) and the fat content was decreased by 1.60% (p < 0.05). Our study provides an effective means for reducing the contamination of Campylobacter during the chicken rearing period and this method can be applied to promote the safe development of poultry farming and its products.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), commonly known as “superbugs”, is a highly pathogenic bacterium that poses a serious threat to human health. There is an urgent need to replace traditional antibiotics with novel drugs to combat S. aureus. Sortase A (SrtA) is a crucial transpeptidase involved in the adhesion process of S. aureus. The reduction in virulence and prevention of S. aureus infections have made it a significant target for antimicrobial drugs. In this study, we combined virtual screening with experimental validation to identify potential drug candidates from a drug library. Three hits, referred to as Naldemedine, Telmisartan, and Azilsartan, were identified based on docking binding energy and the ratio of occupied functional sites of SrtA. The stability analysis manifests that Naldemedine and Telmisartan have a higher binding affinity to the hydrophobic pockets. Specifically, Telmisartan forms stable hydrogen bonds with SrtA, resulting in the highest binding energy. Our experiments prove that the efficiency of adhesion and invasion by S. aureus can be decreased without significantly affecting bacterial growth. Our work identifies Telmisartan as the most promising candidate for inhibiting SrtA, which can help combat S. aureus infection.

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is a prevalent zoonotic pathogen that poses a significant threat to global public health, causing gastroenteritis with symptoms ranging from mild diarrhea to severe complications, and is widely distributed among various animal hosts, including poultry, livestock, and wild birds. Among these, wild birds, characterized by their exceptional species diversity, high mobility, and long-distance migratory behavior, are capable of disseminating infectious agents across geographic regions and ecological settings. However, wild birds are increasingly recognized as potential carriers, research on C. jejuni in these hosts remains nascent and fragmented, and a unified understanding has yet to emerge. Therefore, this review synthesizes current knowledge on the prevalence patterns, key determinants, and genetic and transmission characteristics of wild bird origin C. jejuni, aiming to provide a foundation for subsequent in-depth evaluation of the public health significance of C. jejuni derived from wild birds.