Abstract
Campylobacter is considered the most common bacterial cause of human gastroenteritis in the world with C. jejuni being regarded as the primary cause of bacterial gastroenteritis. A broad range of other Campylobacter species, including C. coli have also been implicated in human gastroenteritis. This study sought to isolate, characterize and assess the antibiogram of Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli from faecal samples obtained from cats and dogs in Isfahan and Shahrekord cities in Iran. Faecal samples were collected from 100 pets comprising of 50 dogs and 50 cats from March 2015 to March 2016; incorporating the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter). Campylobacter spp. was isolated by culture, characterized by biochemical tests and confirmed by PCR‐based assays. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed by the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method, using Mueller Hinton agar. A total of 19 Campylobacter isolates among them two C. jejuni and one C. coli were recovered from dogs and cats’ faecal samples. The prevalence rates of Campylobacter spp. were 16.0% (8 out of 50) in dogs and 22.0% (11 out of 50) in cats. The highest (4 out of 16, 25%) Campylobacter spp. prevalence among dogs was reported in autumn and the lowest (1 out of 11, 9.1%) in spring, while among the cats, the highest (4 out of 12, 33.3%) Campylobacter spp. prevalence was reported in summer and lowest (1 out of 11, 9.09%) in spring. Campylobacter spp. isolated from faecal samples obtained from cats and dogs exhibited the most frequent antimicrobial resistance against tetracycline at 81.8% and 87.5%, respectively, compared to all other antimicrobial agents. These results show a low prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in faecal samples obtained from pet dogs and cats in Shahrekord and Isfahan cities in Iran. Given the relatively low prevalence of the C. jejuni and C. coli in pet dogs and cats in Isfahan and Shahrekord cities, it can be assumed that their importance as reservoirs for infection in humans is likely to be limited to the studied cities, but should not be neglected.
Highlights
Campylobacteriosis is an important, cosmopolitan, gastrointestinal infection of humans caused by a micro-aerophilic bacterium; Campylobacter (John et al 2002; Moyaert et al 2008; Raissy et al 2014; Jonaidi-Jafari et al 2016)
Among faecal samples of 50 dogs that were tested in this study, Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 8 samples reflecting a prevalence of 16%, while only one in 8 positive samples tested for Campylobacter jejuni accounting for 12.5% of the isolates
Most investigations concerning campylobacteriosis in Iran have largely focused on poultry and its products (Rahimi & Ameri 2011; Hosseinzadeh et al 2015; Modirrousta et al 2016), with only a few studies focusing on dogs and cats in the country (Rahimi et al 2012)
Summary
Campylobacteriosis is an important, cosmopolitan, gastrointestinal infection of humans caused by a micro-aerophilic bacterium; Campylobacter (John et al 2002; Moyaert et al 2008; Raissy et al 2014; Jonaidi-Jafari et al 2016). Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli are considered among the most common causes of bacterial enteritis in humans and various animals worldwide (Rahimi et al 2012; Goni et al 2017). Contamination during food preparation has been reported in some studies (Rahimi et al 2010, 2017; Ommi et al 2017). Infection with C. jejuni and C. coli may be asymptomatic or associated. Campylobacter spp. have been isolated from various domestic and wild animals worldwide with a high incidence reported among poultry and poultry by-products (Hosseinzadeh et al 2015; Modirrousta et al 2016; Rahimi et al 2017). The incidence of Campylobacter spp. in the environment largely depends on the climatic conditions of the geographical area (Baserisalehi et al 2007)
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