Campylobacter Infection in Poultry-Processing Workers, Virginia, USA, 2008–2011

During the period studied, the poultry plant processed 300,000–350,000 birds per day and employed ≈1,000 per-sons who worked in 2 main processing areas: first process-ing and second processing. In first processing, birds were unloaded, shackled (in an area called live hang), stunned, killed, scalded, defeathered, eviscerated, and chilled. In sec-ond processing, carcasses were rehung, washed, cooled, and packaged. The plant was under the regulatory authority of the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the US Depart-ment of Agriculture. At any given time, the plant employed 24–35 persons who were residents of 1 of 2 local diversion centers (i.e., participants of a 16- to 20-week residential work assignment program operated by the Virginia Depart-ment of Corrections). The plant had a medical office, with limited diagnostic capabilities, staffed by licensed practical nurses. Employees requiring additional medical evaluation were referred to outside providers.Using occupation data in Virginia Department of Health case reports and Virginia Department of Correc-tions records, we identified persons who had laboratory-diagnosed