Abstract
Diarrhoea illnesses constitute a common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In recent years, Campylobacter spp. has been recognized as the leading cause of bacterial enteritis in both developed and developing countries. The biology of Campylobacters as well as the mechanism by which they cause disease is yet to be fully explained. In addition, non-availability of fast and reliable diagnostic methodology and the growing trend of antibiotic resistance continue to pose significant challenges. The absence of national surveillance programs for campylobacteriosis, particularly in developing countries, makes it difficult to give an accurate picture of the true infection prevalence and the molecular epidemiology of isolates circulating in the populations, a situation which had hitherto existed in the Arabian Gulf region. However, in recent years, emerging data from studies in the Arabian Gulf region has not only enhanced our understanding of the epidemiology of Campylobacter both in humans and poultry in the region, but has also contributed to the overall understanding of the mechanism of Campylobacter enteritis, antibiotic resistance, and improved diagnostic approaches. In this review, we examine these emerging data from the Arabian Gulf region.
Highlights
Diarrhoea illnesses constitute a common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide
As the phenotypic traits associated with different strains may be related to their genetic diversity, we recently described the molecular characterization of C. jejuni isolates from Bahrain, and presented data which showed the relationship between the presence of combinations of these putative virulence genes, the invasive phenotype, and the severity of clinical infection [20,32]
These reports were significant as they provided the first insight into the molecular characterization of virulence genes in Campylobacter strains from the Arabian Gulf region
Summary
Diarrhoea illnesses constitute a common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Several species of bacteria consumed through contaminated food or water cause bacterial enterocolitis and common culprits include Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., and Escherichia coli [1,2]. As the phenotypic traits associated with different strains may be related to their genetic diversity, we recently described the molecular characterization of C. jejuni isolates from Bahrain, and presented data which showed the relationship between the presence of combinations of these putative virulence genes, the invasive phenotype, and the severity of clinical infection [20,32]. These reports were significant as they provided the first insight into the molecular characterization of virulence genes in Campylobacter strains from the Arabian Gulf region. Responsible use is called for and proper dosing is essential because exposure to subinhibitory concentrations of this antibiotic could potentially enhance the toxigenic effect of Figure 1: Pattern of antibiotic resistance in C. jejuni isolates of human and poultry origin from Bahrain and Saudi Arabia (2002-2006)
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