Abstract
Campylobacter species is responsible for 400-500 million diarrhea cases worldwide every year. Emergence of antibiotic resistance has further complicated the scenario. A wide range of virulence factors and resistance genes are present in Campylobacter species and it is hypothesized there are genotypic variations in the prevalence of these genes. The study was conducted to investigate the presence of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes as well as to investigate difference in prevalence rate based on genotype through in silico tools. Among 26 species studied, sixteen isolates (61.54%) had the cdtB gene that breaks the double helix bonds. The cdtA genes were detected in ten (38.46%) C. jejuni strains while fifty percent (n=13) isolates harbored the cdtC genes. Ten isolates that harboured all three adjacent cdt genes were most toxigenic. The lipo-oligosaccharides associated genes, cgtB and wlaN, responsible for β-1,3 galactosyltransferase production, were found in 7.69% and 30.77% of the isolates, respectively. About 57.69% isolates expressed waaC genes. Invasion protein ciaB, outer membrane phospholipase A pldA and IV secretory protein virB11 were found in 53.85%, 34.62% and 7.69% of the isolates, respectively. Six isolates (23.08%) expressed both tetO and tetA genes while one isolate expressed only tetA resistance gene. Seven isolates (26.92%) had changes in gyrB genes that conferred the fluoroquinolone resistance. In silico PFGE typing found that genotype 3 contained all the virulence genes except cgtB gene while genotype 3 and 4 contained mutated gyrB gene. Genotype 1 and 5 contained no virulence and antibiotic resistance genes. Our data helps to predict the possibility of the presence of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes and helps to select appropriate antibiotic that are more efficacious.
Highlights
Gram-negative Campylobacter species is responsible for traveler’s diarrhea and gastroenteritis in humans [1,2]
Isolates from genotype 2 and genotype 4 are likely to be resistant to tetracycline due to efflux pump and ribosomal protection
Our data isolates from genotype 1 and 5 are not pathogenic since it didn’t harbor any of gastroenteritis toxin genes, genes associated with Guillain–Barré syndrome or genes associated with adherence and invasiveness
Summary
Gram-negative Campylobacter species is responsible for traveler’s diarrhea and gastroenteritis in humans [1,2]. Campylobacter is responsible for 400-500 million diarrhea cases worldwide every year [3]. Guillain–Barré syndrome is caused by C jejuni [4] but virulence mechanisms are not well understood. Several studies found that contaminated food, raw milk, water, vegetables, seafood, atmospheric modified packed meat transmitted the zoonotic pathogen Campylobacter to humans during consumption or handling process [1,2,5]. Several investigations found that main source of food-borne human campylobacteriosis is poultry and poultry products [6,7]. The intestinal tract of healthy birds and raw meat are contaminated with thermophilic Campylobacter species. Faeces and processing facilities during the evisceration process contaminated swine carcasses that leads to contaminated food products [8-10]
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