scholarly journals Strain-Specific Differences in Survival of Campylobacter spp. in Naturally Contaminated Turkey Feces and Water

2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (22) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lesley Good ◽  
William G. Miller ◽  
Jeffrey Niedermeyer ◽  
Jason Osborne ◽  
Robin M. Siletzky ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are leading causes of human foodborne illness, with poultry as a major vehicle. Turkeys are frequently colonized with Campylobacter, but little is known about Campylobacter survival in turkey feces, even though fecal droppings are major vehicles for Campylobacter within-flock transmission as well as for environmental dissemination. Our objective was to examine survival of Campylobacter, including different strains, in freshly excreted feces from naturally colonized commercial turkey flocks and in suspensions of turkey feces in water from the turkey house. Fecal and water suspensions were stored at 4°C, and Campylobacter populations were enumerated on selective media at 48-h intervals. C. jejuni and C. coli isolates were characterized for resistance to a panel of antibiotics, and a subset was subtyped using multilocus sequence typing. Campylobacter was recovered from feces and water for up to 16 days. Analysis of 548 isolates (218 C. jejuni and 330 C. coli) revealed that C. jejuni survived longer than C. coli in feces (P = 0.0005), while the reverse was observed in water (P < 0.0001). Strain-specific differences in survival were noted. Multidrug-resistant C. jejuni isolates of sequence type 1839 (ST-1839) and the related ST-2935 were among the longest-surviving isolates in feces, being recovered for up to 10 to 16 days, while multidrug-resistant C. coli isolates of ST-1101 were recovered from feces for only up to 4 days. Data on Campylobacter survival upon excretion from the birds can contribute to further understanding of the transmission dynamics of this pathogen in the poultry production ecosystem. IMPORTANCE Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are leading foodborne pathogens, with poultry as a major reservoir. Due to their growth requirements, these Campylobacter spp. may be unable to replicate once excreted by their avian hosts, but their survival in feces and the environment is critical for transmission in the farm ecosystem. Reducing the prevalence of Campylobacter-positive flocks can have major impacts in controlling both contamination of poultry products and environmental dissemination of the pathogens. However, understanding the capacity of these pathogens to survive in transmission-relevant vehicles such as feces and farmhouse water remains poorly understood, and little information is available on species- and strain-associated differences in survival. Here, we employed model conditions to investigate the survival of C. jejuni and C. coli from naturally colonized turkey flocks, and with diverse genotypes and antimicrobial resistance profiles, in turkey feces and in farmhouse water.

2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Niedermeyer ◽  
Lynde Ring ◽  
William G. Miller ◽  
Seiche Genger ◽  
Christina Parr Lindsey ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Campylobacter is a leading foodborne pathogen, and poultry products are major vehicles for human disease. However, determinants impacting Campylobacter colonization in poultry remain poorly understood, especially with turkeys. Here, we used a paired-farm design to concurrently investigate Campylobacter colonization and strain types in two turkey breeds (Hybrid and Nicholas) at two farms in eastern North Carolina. One farm (the Teaching Animal Unit [TAU]) was a university teaching unit at least 40 km from commercial turkey farms, while the other (SIB) was a commercial farm in an area with a high density of turkey farms. Day-old birds were obtained from the same breeder flock and hatchery and placed at TAU and SIB on the same day. Birds were marked to identify turkey breed and then commingled on each farm. TAU birds became colonized 1 week later than SIB and had lower initial Campylobacter levels in the cecum. Interestingly, Campylobacter genotypes and antimicrobial resistance profiles differed markedly between the farms. Most TAU isolates were resistant only to tetracycline, whereas multidrug-resistant isolates predominated at SIB. Multilocus sequence typing revealed that no Campylobacter genotypes were shared between TAU and SIB. A bovine-associated genotype (sequence type 1068 [ST1068]) predominated in Campylobacter coli from TAU, while SIB isolates had genotypes commonly encountered in commercial turkey production in the region. One multidrug-resistant Campylobacter jejuni strain (ST1839) showed significant association with one of the two turkey breeds. The findings highlight the need to further characterize the impact of farm-specific factors and host genetics on antimicrobial resistance and genotypes of C. jejuni and C. coli that colonize turkeys. IMPORTANCE Colonization of poultry with Campylobacter at the farm level is complex, poorly understood, and critically linked to contamination of poultry products, which is known to constitute a leading risk factor for human campylobacteriosis. Here, we investigated the use of a paired-farm design under standard production conditions and in the absence of experimental inoculations to assess potential impacts of farm and host genetics on prevalence, antimicrobial resistance and genotypes of Campylobacter in commercial turkeys of two different breeds. Data suggest impacts of farm proximity to other commercial turkey farms on the onset of colonization, genotypes, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Campylobacter colonizing the birds. Furthermore, the significant association of a specific multidrug-resistant Campylobacter jejuni strain with turkeys of one breed suggests colonization partnerships at the Campylobacter strain-turkey breed level. The study design avoids potential pitfalls associated with experimental inoculations, providing novel insights into the dynamics of turkey colonization with Campylobacter in actual farm ecosystems.


2014 ◽  
Vol 80 (24) ◽  
pp. 7604-7610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bai Wei ◽  
Se-Yeoun Cha ◽  
Min Kang ◽  
Jae-Hee Roh ◽  
Hye-Suk Seo ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTCampylobacteris a food-borne zoonotic pathogen that causes human gastroenteritis worldwide.Campylobacterbacteria are commensal in the intestines of many food production animals, including ducks and chickens. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence ofCampylobacterspecies in domestic ducks, and the agar dilution method was used to determine resistance of the isolates to eight antibiotics. In addition, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed to determine the sequence types (STs) of selectedCampylobacterisolates. Between May and September 2012, 58 duck farms were analyzed, and 56 (96.6%) were positive forCampylobacter. Among the isolates, 82.1% wereCampylobacter jejuni, 16.1% wereC. coli, and one was unidentified by PCR. Of the 46C. jejuniisolates, 87.0%, 10.9%, and 21.7% were resistant to ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, and azithromycin, respectively. Among theC. coliisolates, all 9 strains were resistant to ampicillin, and 77.8% and 33.3% were resistant to ciprofloxacin and azithromycin, respectively. The majority of theCampylobacterisolates were classified as multidrug resistant. Twenty-eight STs were identified, including 20 STs forC. jejuniand 8 STs forC. coli. The most common clonal complexes inC. jejuniwere the ST-21 complex and the ST-45 complex, while the ST-828 complex predominated inC. coli. The majority of isolates were of STs noted in ducks and humans from earlier studies, along with seven STs previously associated only with human disease. These STs overlapped between duck and human isolates, indicating thatCampylobacterisolates from ducks should be considered potential sources of human infection.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (47) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daya Marasini ◽  
Mohamed K. Fakhr

ABSTRACT We report the complete genome sequences of multidrug-resistant Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolated from retail turkey and pork, respectively. The chromosomes of these two isolates contained type VI secretion system genes. The two isolates also harbored large plasmids with antimicrobial resistance genes possibly contributing to their multidrug resistance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Abraham ◽  
Shafi Sahibzada ◽  
Kylie Hewson ◽  
Tanya Laird ◽  
Rebecca Abraham ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT In a structured survey of all major chicken-meat producers in Australia, we investigated the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and genomic characteristics of Campylobacter jejuni (n = 108) and C. coli (n = 96) from cecal samples of chickens at slaughter (n = 200). The majority of the C. jejuni (63%) and C. coli (86.5%) samples were susceptible to all antimicrobials. Fluoroquinolone resistance was detected among both C. jejuni (14.8%) and C. coli (5.2%), although this only included three sequence types (STs) and one ST, respectively. Multidrug resistance among strains of C. jejuni (0.9%) and C. coli (4.1%) was rare, and fluoroquinolone resistance, when present, was never accompanied by resistance to any other agent. Comparative genome analysis demonstrated that Australian isolates were found dispersed on different branches/clusters within the international collection. The major fluoroquinolone-resistant STs of C. jejuni (ST7323, ST2083, and ST2343) and C. coli (ST860) present in Australian chickens were similar to those of international isolates and have been reported previously in humans and animals overseas. The detection of a subpopulation of Campylobacter isolates exclusively resistant to fluoroquinolone was unexpected since most critically important antimicrobials such as fluoroquinolones are excluded from use in Australian livestock. A number of factors, including the low level of resistance to other antimicrobials, the absence of fluoroquinolone use, the adoption of measures for preventing spread of contagion between flocks, and particularly the genomic identities of isolates, all point to humans, pest species, or wild birds as being the most plausible source of organisms. This study also demonstrates the need for vigilance in the form of surveillance for AMR based on robust sampling to manage AMR risks in the food chain. IMPORTANCE Campylobacter is one of the most common causes of gastroenteritis in humans, with infections frequently resulting from exposure to undercooked poultry products. Although human illness is typically self-limiting, a minority of cases do require antimicrobial therapy. Ensuring that Campylobacter originating from meat chickens does not acquire resistance to fluoroquinolones is therefore a valuable outcome for public health. Australia has never legalized the use of fluoroquinolones in commercial chickens and until now fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter has not been detected in the Australian poultry. This structured survey of meat chickens derived from all major Australian producers describes the unexpected emergence of fluoroquinolone resistance in Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli. Genetic characterization suggests that these isolates may have evolved outside the Australian poultry sector and were introduced into poultry by humans, pest species, or wild birds. The findings dramatically underline the critical role of biosecurity in the overall fight against antimicrobial resistance.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 872 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Żbikowska ◽  
Monika Michalczuk ◽  
Beata Dolka

The emergence of multidrug-resistant infections and antibiotic failures have raised concerns over human and veterinary medicine worldwide. Poultry production has had to confront the problems of an alarming increase in bacterial resistance, including zoonotic pathogens. According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis have been the most frequently reported human foodborne diseases linked to poultry. This situation has strongly stimulated a renewal of scientists’ interest in bacteriophages (phages) since the beginning of the 21st century. Bacteriophages are the viruses of bacteria. They are abundant in nature, and accompany bacteria in each environment they colonize, including human microbiota. In this review, we focused on the use of bacteriophages as therapeutic agents to treat infections and reduce counts of pathogenic bacteria in poultry, as biocontrol agents to eliminate foodborne pathogens on/in food, and also as disinfectants to reduce contamination on food-contact surfaces or poultry carcasses in industrial conditions. Most of the phage-based products are targeted against the main foodborne pathogens, such as Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Clostridium perfringens. Phages are currently addressed at all stages of the poultry production "from farm to fork", however, their implementation into live birds and food products still provokes discussions especially in the context of the current legal framework, limitations, as well as public health and safety.


2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (12) ◽  
pp. 3875-3878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja Kittl ◽  
Bożena M. Korczak ◽  
Lilian Niederer ◽  
Andreas Baumgartner ◽  
Sabina Buettner ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTMultilocus sequence typing (MLST) and antibiotic resistance patterns ofCampylobacter jejuniandCampylobacter colifrom retail chicken meat showed high overlap with isolates collected at slaughterhouses, indicating little selection along the production chain. They also showed significant common sequence types with human clinical isolates, revealing chicken meat as a likely source for human infection.


1999 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 735-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. UYTTENDAELE ◽  
P. DE TROY ◽  
J. DEBEVERE

From January 1997 to May 1998, 772 samples of poultry carcasses and poultry products for sale on the retail market in Belgium were analyzed for the presence of Salmonella spp., Salmonella Enteritidis, Campylobacter jejuni, C. coli, and Listeria monocytogenes per 100 cm2 or 25 g. Poultry samples were contaminated with Salmonella (36.5%), C. jejuni and C. coli (28.5%), and L. monocytogenes (38.2%). In about 12.3% of the poultry samples, the L. monocytogenes contamination level exceeded 1 CFU per g or cm2. Significant differences in pathogen contamination rates of poultry products were noticed between the poultry products originating from Belgian, French, and U.K. abattoirs. Poultry products derived from broiler chickens running free in pine woods until slaughtering age (12 to 13 weeks) had a significantly (P &lt; 0.05) lower contamination rate of Salmonella than poultry products from enclosed broilers slaughtered at the age of 6 to 8 weeks. A significantly (P &lt; 0.05) lower pathogen contamination rate was noted for Salmonella, C. jejuni, and C. coli for poultry cuts without skin compared to poultry cuts with skin on. An increase in pathogen contamination rate was noticed during cutting and further processing. To diminish C. jejuni, C. coli, Salmonella, and L. monocytogenes contamination rates, hygienic rules of slaughter and meat processing must be rigorously observed. At the moment, zero tolerance for these pathogens is not feasible, and there is a need to establish criteria allowing these pathogens to be present at reasonable levels in the examined poultry samples.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. e542101019224
Author(s):  
Felipe Pereira de Melo ◽  
Priscila Oliveira da Silva ◽  
Saruanna Millena dos Santos Clemente ◽  
Renata Pimentel Bandeira de Melo ◽  
José Givanildo da Silva ◽  
...  

In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobcater coli, and virulence genes in fresh, chilled, and frozen chicken carcasses with livers and gizzards sold in public markets and supermarkets. Of the 90 samples analyzed, C. jejuni was the most prevalent, with 28.8% of positive samples, whereas C. coli was positive in 15.6% of samples. In public market samples, C. coli had a higher prevalence than C. jejuni, with 16.7% positive samples detected, whereas in supermarket samples, C. jejuni was more prevalent (36.7% positivity). C. jejuni was detected in all forms of commercialized carcasses; however, there was a higher prevalence (43.3%) in chilled samples than C. coli, which was not detected in frozen samples but showed a higher prevalence (16.7%) in fresh samples. Both species were detected in different poultry products, with C. jejuni being more prevalent (53.3%) in liver samples. C. coli showed a higher prevalence in samples of meat pieces (10%). The presence of five virulence genes related to adherence (Peb1, JlpA, CadF, and CapA) and invasion (CiaB) was also observed in both species.


2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 455-466
Author(s):  
Alessandra Piccirillo ◽  
Martina Giacomelli ◽  
Giulia Niero ◽  
Carlotta De Luca ◽  
Lisa Carraro ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 835-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
LISA K. WILLIAMS ◽  
ALISDAIR MCMEECHAN ◽  
TAMSIN BAALHAM ◽  
LAURA WARD ◽  
TOM J. HUMPHREY ◽  
...  

In this study, the conventional International Organization for Standardization (ISO) culture method was compared with the DuPont Qualicon BAX system, a high-throughput, rapid molecular assay that can be used to detect several bacterial species, including Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in diverse sample types. Standard enrichment culture is a time-consuming process, taking up to 6 days to obtain a confirmed result. Rapid molecular assays have been developed that provide results within 24 h. Naturally contaminated samples from the poultry production chain were examined for the presence of Campylobacter spp. Samples from broiler chicken ceca (n = 100), fresh chicken carcass rinses (n = 60), and bootsocks (gauze sock walked through a broiler chicken house; n = 50) were enriched according to the ISO 10272 method in Bolton broth specifically designed to detect Campylobacter spp. in complex sample types. Samples were enriched without blood for use with the BAX system using the Campylobacter BAX kits for the detection of C. jejuni and C. coli. Samples also were directly plated onto modified charcoal cefperazone deoxycholate agar, and results were compared with those from the enriched samples for the ability to detect Campylobacter spp. Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 49% of samples with conventional enrichment cultures, from 48% with direct culture, from 68% with the BAX system and enrichment cultures, and from 62% with the BAX system used directly with samples. Overall, the BAX system detected more positive samples than did the conventional culture method and is an effective methodology for the rapid and reliable detection of Campylobacter spp. from diverse sample types.


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