Prevalence Rate, Antibiotic Resistance and Biotyping of Thermotolerant Campylobacter Isolated from Poultry Products Vended in Wasit Markets

Abstract

Campylobacter is a public cause of globally identified human gastrointestinal disease. Nonetheless, in Iraq many sides of the epidemiology of campylobacteriosis and its impact on public health remain poorly understood. Hence, this study was taken to offer reference information on the prevalence rate, sensitivity to antibiotics and biotyping of Campylobacter in poultry products sold in the Wasit markets. A total of 85 samples were collected including chicken (n = 45) and turkey (n =40) meat were surveyed for isolation and identification. Thermotolerant Campylobacter was detected in 54 samples by which Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) was recognized as a main species accounting for 37(68.5%),while Campylobacter coli (C. coli) had 17 (31.5%) of the positive samples. Highest resistance was perceived to oxacillin and tetracycline as (94.4% and 85.2%), respectively. While lowest rate of resistance, 29.6% was detected against gentamicin. Campylobacter coli isolates showed higher resistance rate than C. jejuni isolates towards the selected antibiotics. In addition, multiple drug resistance (MDR) to at least three antibiotics was detected in the vast majority (90.7%) of the experienced isolates. Forty- three (79.6%) of the isolates had multiple antibiotic resistance index (MAR-index) 0.4 and above. Results of biotyping showed that biotype I was the predominant biotype in the two species as 70.2 and 76.5 proportions in C. jejuni and C. coli, respectively. Our results proposed that the presence of Campylobacter in poultry with greater resistance to erythromycin and/ or ciprofloxacin triggers the public health alarm and accentuates the education of consumers on the quality and safety of such foods.