Outer Space? Chicken Feathers!

This might look like a star-forming nebula photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope, but it is a microscopic image of infected chicken skin. 

The fluorescent green spots are cells of Campylobacter - pathogenic bacteria that can cause intestinal problems and fever in humans.  According to the Center for Disease Control, Campylobacter is one of the most common bacterial causes of diarrhea in the United States.

Most people who get sick recover completely within 2 to 5 days.

The bacteria show up in poultry, but it is unknown whether the exposure occurs when the animals are transported, or later when the meat is prepared. 

Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have examined several chicken carcasses from a commercial processing plant.  They found that Campylobacter cells had infected the respiratory tracts - most likely before processing had begun. 

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-- LiveScience Staff

Credit: Anna Bates