Campylobacter infections in calves, piglets, lambs and kids in Trinidad

Abstract

Faeces or rectal swabs from 689 diarrhoeic and non-diarrhoeic animals were cultured for thermophilic campylobacters and their antibiograms were determined. Three hundred and fifteen (45.7%) samples were positive for Campylobacter. Piglets had the highest prevalence, 79.3% ( 233 294 ) and lambs, the lowest with 17.9% ( 15 84 ) being positive. The difference was statistically significant ( P ≤ 0.01; χ 2). In calves, 20.5% ( 60 293 ) and in kids 38.9% ( 7 18 ) were positive for campylobacters. The prevalence of infection was not significantly ( P ≥ 0.05; χ 2) different between diarrhoeic (46.1%) and non-diarrhoeic (45.1%) animals nor between male (47.5%) and female (43.8%). The frequency of isolation of campylobacters harvested from semi-intensively managed animals (75.4%) was, however, significantly higher ( P ≤ 0.001; χ 2) than from intensively or extensively managed animals. Overall, C. coli strains (32.8%) were more frequently isolated than C. jejuni strains (12.9%) and the difference was significant ( P ≤ 0.001; χ 2). Biotype I accounted for 67.3% ( 152 226 ) of C. coli and 64.0% ( 57 89 ) of C. jejuni strains isolated. A total of 245 (77.8%) strains of Campylobacter exhibited resistance to one or more antibiotics and was highest to streptomycin (76.5%), kanamycin (28.6%) and neomycin (26.7%). It was concluded that Campylobacter infections were widespread in livestock in Trinidad, particularly C. coli in piglets.