Abstract
Handling and consumption of chicken meat are risk factors for human campylobacteriosis. This study was performed to describe the Campylobacter population in broiler carcasses and environmental samples throughout the slaughter process. Moreover, the genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance of the Campylobacter strains were evaluated. Cloacal swabs, samples from carcasses at different stages, and environmental samples were collected thrice from the different flocks at the same abattoir located in Central Jiangsu, China. Campylobacter isolated from the three batches (n = 348) were identified as Campylobacter jejuni (n = 117) and Campylobacter coli (n = 151) by multiplex PCR. Characterization by multilocus sequence typing revealed a specific genotype of Campylobacter for each batch. Antimicrobial sensitivity to 18 antibiotics were analyzed for all selected strains according to the agar diffusion method recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Antibiotic susceptibility tests indicated that the majority of the tested isolates were resistant to quinolones (>89.7%). Less resistance to macrolide (59.8%), gentamicin (42.7%), amikacin (36.8%) was observed. Results showed that 94.0% of the tested strains demonstrated multidrug resistance.
Highlights
Campylobacter is a leading cause of bacterial foodborne infections in developed countries
New species of Campylobacter have recently been discovered, human campylobacteriosis are dominated by two main species, Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli (Tresse et al, 2017)
Several studies have associated the risk of human Campylobacter infection with highly contaminated broiler carcasses (Callicott et al, 2008; Nauta and Havelaar, 2008)
Summary
Campylobacter is a leading cause of bacterial foodborne infections in developed countries. This infection has surpassed Salmonella several years ago and caused a significant economic burden (EFSA and ECDC, 2016). Campylobacter infection causes watery diarrhea, abortion, human acute enteritis, and several complications, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and Reiter’s syndrome, in severe cases. Handling and consumption of poultry are the major sources for human infection (Boysen et al, 2014). Reducing the prevalence or number of Campylobacter in broilers at the primary stage could be an effective way to protect public health from Campylobacter infections (European Food Safety Authority [EFSA], 2010). Despite the many biosecurity interventions at the farm, Campylobacter has not been well controlled in broiler flocks after the rearing period (Newell et al, 2011)
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