Abstract
ObjectiveCampylobacter is a major cause of gastroenteritis in humans and pet ownership is a risk factor for infection. To study the occurrence, species distribution and sequence-based types of Campylobacter spp. in pet cats, 82 faecal samples were collected from cats in New Zealand. The PCR positive samples of Campylobacter jejuni were characterized by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), major outer membrane protein gene (porA) and flagellin A gene (flaA) sequence typing.ResultsSeven faecal samples were tested positive for Campylobacter spp. (9%, or 4–17% at 95% confidence interval), of which six were identified as C. jejuni, and one was C. upsaliensis. The six C. jejuni isolates were characterised by MLST; four belonged to ST-45 clonal complex and two of the isolates could not be typed. Two flaA-SVR types were identified: three samples were flaA-SVR type 8 and one belonged to 239. By combining all data, three isolates were indistinguishable with allelic combinations of ST-45, flaA-SVR 8, porA 44, although no epidemiological connection between these isolates could be established. To conclude, healthy cats can carry C. jejuni, whose detected genetic diversity is limited. The isolated sequence type ST-45 is frequently reported in human illnesses.
Highlights
Campylobacter spp. is the major cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in many countries, including New Zealand [1,2,3]
By using multilocus sequence typing (MLST), isolates are characterized by partial sequencing of seven housekeeping genes whose allele combination groups strains into sequence types (ST) which in turn can be grouped into clonal complexes (CC) [31].To add additional discrimination power, we combined this method with typing of flagellin A gene (flaA) and porA sequences [32]
There is a general conception that healthy pets do not carry C. jejuni, our results have shown that healthy cats did carry zoonotic C. jejuni (ST45 and ST-583) populations which may pose a potential risk for their owners
Summary
Seven faecal samples were tested positive for Campylobacter spp. (9%, or 4–17% at 95% confidence interval), of which six were identified as C. jejuni, and one was C. upsaliensis. Seven faecal samples were tested positive for Campylobacter spp. (9%, or 4–17% at 95% confidence interval), of which six were identified as C. jejuni, and one was C. upsaliensis. The six C. jejuni isolates were characterised by MLST; four belonged to ST-45 clonal complex and two of the isolates could not be typed. Two flaA-SVR types were identified: three samples were flaA-SVR type 8 and one belonged to 239. Three isolates were indistinguishable with allelic combinations of ST-45, flaA-SVR 8, porA 44, no epidemiological connection between these isolates could be established. Healthy cats can carry C. jejuni, whose detected genetic diversity is limited. The isolated sequence type ST-45 is frequently reported in human illnesses
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