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Campylobacter is a major cause of foodborne gastroenteritis worldwide, with the mishandling of contaminated chicken meat among the main pathways for human infection. Granted the disease burden due to this pathogen, systematic assessments of its potential impact are necessary. The aims of this study were to evaluate both presence and load of Campylobacter in chicken meat sold in traditional markets, assess risk factors related with the infrastructure and hygienic conditions of market stalls, and evaluate control strategies for campylobacteriosis in Peru through a quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA), a data-driven, systematic approach to quantitatively assess risks by integrating empirical contamination levels, microbial behavior, and consumer exposure. Between February and December 2022, a total of 90 chicken meat samples from traditional markets were sampled and evaluated by both culture and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Campylobacter spp. were detected in 28 % and 76 % of samples with a mean quantification of 3.3 log 10 CFU/g and 4.9 log 10 GC/g through culture and qPCR, respectively. Market stalls with tap water showed higher prevalence and loads, while those without refrigeration had higher quantifications. The QMRA analysis, using the most conservative parameters and bacterial load, indicated that the entire modeled population develops campylobacteriosis at least once annually. These results highlight the public health impact of Campylobacter, potentially linked to the alarming number of Guillain-Barré syndrome cases observed in Peru. Our study suggests that consumer-level interventions, such as reducing kitchen cross-contamination and improving chicken meat storage, could substantially reduce campylobacteriosis cases in this population., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is a food and waterborne pathogen with severe public health implications. We report the first-time isolation of this pathogen in the Central Highlands of Peru through standardized culture procedures and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Escherichia coli strains were cultured from rectal-anal swabs from dairy calves and beef from food markets. The latex agglutination test was used to detect O157 and H7 antigens, and multiplex real-time PCR was carried out to detect virulence-related genes. The STEC O157:H7 strains were isolated from 3.5% (1/28) of beef samples and from 6.0% (3/50) of dairy calves that also carried both eaeA and stx1 genes. Therefore, this pathogen is a potential cause of food/waterborne disease in the region, and its surveillance in both livestock and their products should be improved to characterize the impact of its zoonotic transmission. From 2010 to 2020, E. coli was suspected in 10 outbreaks reported to the Peruvian Ministry of Health. Isolates from future outbreaks should be characterized to assess the burden posed by STEC O157:H7 in Peru.