Contaminated environment plays an important role in the transmission of Campylobacter, directly to humans or indirectly via farm animals. Emission from broiler farms could play an important role in environmental contamination. However, systematic investigations about different emission routes from broiler farms and their impact are still scarce. Moreover, the role of viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state in environmental transmission is not studied up to now.

Therefore, in this study broiler farms will intensively be investigated over a time. Samples from animals and their environment inside the barn will be collected simultaneously to different samples in the farms´ surrounding with focus on as well as a direct entry/ immission and a direct emission. These processes will be recorded over a longer time period. Besides the cultivation and quantification of Campylobacter also VBNC state will be detected and quantified.

Isolates from the barn will be compared to isolates from the farms´ environment via NGS and epidemiological relationships will be evaluated. Moreover, the tenacity and pathogenic potential of isolated environmental Campylobacter including their VBNC state will be analysed in a laboratory approach.

In the end, the relevance of emissions from broiler farms for a direct transmission to humans as well as a recurring contamination of broiler flocks from the environment will be evaluated.