Controlling Campylabacter in the Chicken Meat Chain: A Cost-Utility Analysis

The aim of this study was the estimation of cost-utility of interventions to control Campylobacter contamination of broiler meat. The relative risk, the intervention costs, the disease burden (expressed in DALYs) and the costs-of-illness for the various interventions were necessary inputs for the cost-utility analysis. The cost-utility is expressed in net costs per reduced DALY. The most cost-effective interventions are: reduction of faeces leakage in the slaughter line and decontamination of the carcass by dipping in a chemical solution. Phage therapy might be another cost-effective intervention, depending on assumed costs/chicken. Irradiation is the most efficient intervention, but the least cost-effective.