High Prevalence Of Campylobacter Research Articles

Whole Genome Sequences, De Novo Assembly, and Annotation of Antibiotic Resistant Campylobacter jejuni Strains S27, S33, and S36 Newly Isolated from Chicken Meat.

Campylobacter is a leading bacterial cause of gastrointestinal infections in humans and has imposed substantial medical and public health burdens worldwide. Among a total of 39 species in the Campylobacter genus, C. jejuni is the most important species responsible for approx. 90% of human Campylobacter illness. Most cases of the infection were acquired by ingesting undercooked poultry meat due to the high prevalence of Campylobacter in the products. Here, we reported the dataset of raw sequences, de novo assembled and annotated genomes of C. jejuni strains S27, S33, and S36 recently isolated from retail chicken by using PacBio highly accurate long-read sequencing technology combined with bioinformatics tools. Our data revealed several virulence and antibiotic resistance genes in each of the chromosomes, a type IV secretion system in the plasmid (pCjS33) of C. jejuni S33, and a type VI secretion system and a phage in the plasmid (pCjS36) of C. jejuni S36. This study not only provides new sequence data but also extends the knowledge pertaining to the genomic and functional aspects of this important foodborne pathogen, including the genetic determinants of virulence and antibiotic resistance.

Prevalence and genetic characterization of Campylobacter from clinical poultry cases in China.

Campylobacter is one of the leading causes of bacterial foodborne diseases globally. Poultry is considered a major reservoir for the transmission of Campylobacter to humans. The occurrence and epidemiology of Campylobacter in healthy poultry have been extensively studied, but the prevalence in diseased poultry has rarely been reported. In this study, a total of 1,563 intestinal samples, 547 gallbladder samples, and 3,729 parenchyma organ samples were collected from diseased chickens, ducks, and geese in Yangzhou Veterinary Hospital between December 2016 and September 2017. The bacterial isolates were analyzed for genotype, resistance, and virulence genes. The overall prevalence of Campylobacter was 17.9%, and a significantly higher prevalence was observed in the diseased chickens (21.8%) than in the diseased ducks (12.1%) and geese (11.9%). Campylobacter was significantly more prevalent in the intestinal tract (39.6%), followed by the gallbladder (11.7%) and parenchyma organ (9.7%). Among 84 whole-genome sequenced Campylobacter isolates, we identified 47 multi-locus sequence typing types, of which ST-51 and ST-825 were the most predominant sequence types (STs) for Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Campylobacter isolates from different tissues from the same host tended to cluster together with the same STs, which indicated Campylobacter infection in different tissues in vivo. The antimicrobial resistance genes most frequently identified were gyrA (T86I) (97.6%) and tet (O) (65.5%). Our results revealed the high prevalence of Campylobacter in diseased poultry in China, which will help the farms take the necessary action to develop effective mitigation strategies for reducing Campylobacter infection in poultry.IMPORTANCECampylobacter is a major cause of campylobacteriosis worldwide, and poultry is the main reservoir for its transmission. Campylobacter was generally considered to be a harmless commensal organism in poultry without pathogenic properties. However, it was proposed that a Campylobacter-like organism may be the cause of vibrionic hepatitis, which poses a significant public health risk. The occurrence and epidemiology of Campylobacter in healthy poultry have been studied systematically, but little is known about the epidemiology of Campylobacter isolates from diseased poultry in China. Therefore, this study determined the prevalence and molecular characterization of Campylobacter from diseased chickens, ducks, and geese in Yangzhou Veterinary Hospital between December 2016 and September 2017, which was critical for improving the diagnosis and prevention of Campylobacter infections.

Genomic Characterization and Wetland Occurrence of a Novel Campylobacter Isolate from Canada Geese.

Populations of resident, non-migratory Canada geese are rapidly increasing. Canada geese are known to transmit viral and bacterial diseases, posing a possible threat to human health. The most prevalent pathogens vectored by geese are Campylobacter species, yet the current understanding of the identity and virulence of these pathogens is limited. In our previous study, we observed a high prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in the Banklick Creek wetland-a constructed treatment wetland (CTW) located in northern KY (USA) used to understand sources of fecal contamination originating from humans and waterfowl frequenting the area. To identify the types of Campylobacter spp. found contaminating the CTW, we performed genetic analyses of Campylobacter 16s ribosomal RNA amplified from CTW water samples and collected fecal material from birds frequenting those areas. Our results showed a high occurrence of a Campylobacter canadensis-like clade from the sampling sites. Whole-genome sequence analyses of an isolate from Canada goose fecal material, called MG1, were used to confirm the identity of the CTW isolates. Further, we examined the phylogenomic position, virulence gene content, and antimicrobial resistance gene profile of MG1. Lastly, we developed an MG1-specific real-time PCR assay and confirmed the presence of MG1 in Canada goose fecal samples surrounding the CTW. Our findings reveal that the Canada goose-vectored Campylobacter sp. MG1 is a novel isolate compared to C. canadensis that possesses possible zoonotic potential, which may be of human health concern.

A Review on Significance of Public Health Issues Related to Poultry Campylobacteriosis

The goal of poultry industry worldwide is the production of safe food products, via efficient and goal-oriented health care to prevent the development of disease conditions in poultry. However, a several number of poultry diseases can negatively affects the breeding values and have the potential to be zoonotic and transmit the infections to humans such as campylobacteriosis. C. jejuni is highly prevalent in commercial poultry farms and act as major reservoirs of the infection. Horizontal transmission from the environment is considered to be the primary source of bacterial foodborne worldwide. The high prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in poultry meat is a result of several contamination and cross-contamination sources in the entire production chain. Recent investigations demonstrated that various stages of food processing in slaughterhouse and consumption of raw or undercooked poultry meat is considered the significant risk factor for human campylobacteriosis worldwide. Furthermore, survival factors such as biofilm formation and antimicrobial resistance, enable its persistence during food processing. On the other hand, the increase of multiple and multidrug-resistant Campylobacter worldwide is not only related to the over-consumption of antibiotics in human medicine, but also in poultry production chain as growth promotors and/or to treat and prevent bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistant Campylobacter presents an obvious and impending challenge to One Health. In the future, the consumer expectations for high standards quality of poultry products will strongly influence the production methods. This means that farmers, stockholders’, veterinarians, and all other partners involved in the production chain, will have to share more responsibilities and the cooperation should be intensified. This review represents an updated overview of the global epidemiology, the correlation of official control, the disease associated with food handler and the importance of food safety with respect to Campylobacteriosis.

Olive Leaf as a Source of Antibacterial Compounds Active against Antibiotic-Resistant Strains of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli.

Campylobacter spp. are the main cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, and broiler chicks are the main vector of transmission to humans. The high prevalence of Campylobacter in poultry meat and the increase of antibiotic resistant strains have raised the need to identify new antimicrobial agents. For this reason, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of two extracts of olive leaf against antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter strains (C. jejuni and C. coli) isolated from poultry food chain. The extracts of olive leaf (E1 and E2) were markedly different in their chemical compositions. While E1 was composed predominantly of highly hydrophilic compounds such as hydroxytyrosol and hydroxytyrosol glucosides (14,708 mg/100 g), E2 mainly contained moderately hydrophilic compounds, with oleuropein (20,471 mg/100 g) being prevalent. All Campylobacter strains exhibited similar antibiotic profiles, being resistant to ciprofloxacin and tetracycline. E1 showed strong antibacterial activity and reduced bacterial growth from 4.12 to 8.14 log CFU/mL, depending on the strain. Hydroxytyrosol was the main compound responsible, causing the inhibition of growth of Campylobacter strains at low concentrations (0.1-0.25 mg/mL). E2 demonstrated a lower antibacterial effect than E1, reducing growth from 0.52 to 2.49 log CFU/mL. The results of this study suggest that the optimization of the composition of olive-leaf extracts can provide improved treatment results against Campylobacter strains.

Epidemiology of Campylobacter infections among children of 0\u201324\xa0months of age in South Africa

BackgroundCampylobacter spp. are one of the most frequent causes of diarrhoeal disease in humans throughout the world. This study aimed at determining the prevalence and the genotypic distribution of Campylobacter spp. and their association with diarrhoea and child growth in children of less than the age of two in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.MethodsA total of 4280 diarrheal and non-diarrheal stool samples were collected on a monthly basis from children recruited at birth and followed up to 24 months. All stool samples were screened for the presence Campylobacter antigen using ELISA technique after which CAH 16S primer was used on the positive samples to confirm the presence of Campylobacter. Subsequently, the PCR positive samples were further characterised using species specific primers for Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli.ResultsCampylobacter antigen was detected in 564/4280 (13.2%). Campylobacter was more commonly found in diarrheal stools (20.4%) compared to non-diarrheal stools (12.4%) with a statistically significant difference (χ2 = 7.345; p = 0.006). Throughout the year there were two main peaks of Campylobacter infection one in December- January and the second peak in June. The prevalence of Campylobacter increased with the age of the children up to 11 months after which the prevalence decreased. Out of 564 positive ELISA samples, 257 (45.6%) were confirmed to have 16S rRNA gene for Campylobacter spp. Furthermore, C. jejuni was found to be more prevalent (232/257) than C. coli (25/257) with a prevalence of 90.3% and 9.7%, respectively. Both C. jejuni and C. coli were significantly associated with diarrhea with statistical values of (χ2 = 22.224; p < 0.001) and (χ2 = 81.682; p < 0.001) respectively. Sequences generated from the analysis of hip gene confirmed the PCR positives samples were C. jejuni positive.ConclusionsThis study has delineated a high prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in the study cohort. Moreover, C. jejuni was found to be more prevalent than C. coli both of which were associated with diarrhea. These findings are of clinical and epidemiological significance.

The prevalence, counts, and MLST genotypes of Campylobacter in poultry meat and genomic comparison with clinical isolates

Since 2005 campylobacteriosis has been the most commonly reported gastrointestinal infection in humans in the European Union with more than 200,000 cases annually. Also Campylobacter is one of the most frequent cause of food-borne outbreaks with 319 outbreaks reported to EFSA, involving 1,254 cases of disease and 125 hospitalizations in EU in 2019. Importantly poultry meat is one of the most common source for the sporadic Campylobacter infections and for strong-evidence campylobacteriosis food-borne outbreaks in EU. In present study, 429 fresh broiler chicken meat samples of Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian origin were collected from Estonian retail level and analyzed on a monthly basis between September 2018 and October 2019. Campylobacter spp. were isolated in 141 (32.9%) of 429 broiler chicken meat samples. Altogether 3 (1.8%), 49 (36.8%), and 89 (66.9%) of Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian origin broiler chicken meat samples were positive for Campylobacter spp. Among Campylobacter-positive samples, 62 (14.5%) contained Campylobacter spp. below 100 CFU/g and in 28 (6.5%) samples the count of Campylobacter spp. exceeded 1,000 CFU/g. A high prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in fresh broiler chicken meat of Lithuanian and Latvian origin in Estonian retail was observed. Additionally, 22 different multilocus sequence types were identified among 55 genotyped isolates of broiler chicken meat and human origin, of which 45 were Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) and 10 were Campylobacter coli (C. coli). The most prevalent multilocus sequence types among C. jejuni was ST2229 and among C. coli ST832, ST872. C. jejuni genotypes found in both broiler chicken meat and human origin samples were ST122, ST464, ST7355, and ST9882, which indicates that imported fresh broiler chicken meat is likely the cause of human campylobacteriosis in Estonia.

Isolation, identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli from cattle, goat, and chicken meats in Mekelle, Ethiopia.

Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are globally recognized as a major cause of bacterial foodborne gastroenteritis. A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2015 to May 2016 in Mekelle city to isolate, identify, and estimate the prevalence of C. jejuni and C. coli in raw meat samples and to determine their antibiotic susceptibility pattern. A total of 384 raw meat samples were randomly collected from bovine (n = 210), goat (n = 108), and chicken (n = 66), and isolation and identification of Campylobacter spp. were performed using standard bacteriological techniques and PCR. Antibiotic susceptibility test was performed using disc diffusion method. Of the total 384 raw meat samples, 64 (16.67%) were found positive for Campylobacter spp. The highest prevalence of Campylobacter spp. was found in chicken meat (43.93%) followed by bovine meat (11.90%) and goat meat (9.25%). The most prevalent Campylobacter spp. isolated from meat samples was C. jejuni (81.25%). The overall prevalence of Campylobacter in restaurants, butcher shops, and abattoir was 43.93%, 18.30%, and 9.30%, respectively. 96.8%, 81.25%, 75%, and 71% of the Campylobacter spp. isolates were sensitive to norfloxacin, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, and sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim, respectively. However, 96.9%, 85.9%, and 50% of the isolates were resistant to ampicillin, amoxicillin, and streptomycin, respectively. Strains that developed multi-drug resistant were 68.7%. The result of this study revealed the occurrence of Campylobacter in bovine, goat, and chicken meats. Hence, there is a chance of acquiring infection via consumption of raw or undercooked meat. Thus, implementation of hygienic practices from a slaughterhouse to the retailers, proper handling and cooking of foods of meat are very important in preventing Campylobacter infection.

Prevalence and Characterization of Campylobacter in Bile from Bovine Gallbladders

Campylobacter is one of the most important causes of food-borne infectious diseases. Antibiotics are rarely needed to treat campylobacteriosis, but occasionally used in severe or prolonged cases. Consumption of contaminated bovine liver is a source of campylobacteriosis. Bovine liver can be contaminated with Campylobacter on the surface and inside by the bile at slaughterhouses. Therefore, we investigated the current prevalence and characteristics of Campylobacter in bovine bile at a slaughterhouse. Campylobacter was isolated from 35.7% (55/154) of bile samples. C. jejuni and C. fetus were the two most frequent species. High antimicrobial resistant rates in C. jejuni were observed against tetracycline (63.0%) and ciprofloxacin (44.4%). Multi-locus sequence typing divided C. jejuni isolates (27 isolates) into 12 sequence types (STs) in which ST806 was the most frequent ST and accounted for 37.0%. All C. fetus were identified as C. fetus subsp. fetus which can cause systemic infections. High antimicrobial resistant rates in C. fetus were observed against ciprofloxacin (66.6%), streptomycin (58.3%) and tetracycline (33.3%). All the C. fetus isolates were divided into two STs, ST3 (16 isolates) and ST6 (8 isolates). Of the 16 ST3 isolates, 15 (93.8%) were resistant to both streptomycin and ciprofloxacin. Our data shows high prevalence of Campylobacter in bovine bile and their high rates of antimicrobial resistance. Preventing bile contamination of bovine liver at slaughterhouses is thus considered to be one of control measures to reduce the risk of Campylobacter infections.

Strategies and novel technologies to control Campylobacter in the poultry chain: A review.

Campylobacteriosis is one of the most common bacterial infections worldwide causing economic costs. The high prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in poultry meat is a result of several contamination and cross-contamination sources through the production chain. Moreover, survival mechanisms, such as biofilm formation, viable but nonculturable state, and antimicrobial resistance, enable its persistence during food processing. Therefore, mitigation strategies are necessary in order to avoid and/or inactivate Campylobacter at farm, abattoir, industry, and retail level. In this review, a number of potential strategies and novel technologies that could reduce the prevalence of Campylobacter in poultry meat have been identified and evaluated to provide a useful overview. At farm level for instance, biosecurity, bacteriocins, probiotics, feed and water additives, bacteriophages, and vaccination could potentially reduce colonization in chicken flocks. However, current technologies used in the chicken slaughter and processing industry may be less effective against this foodborne pathogen. Novel technologies and strategies such as cold plasma, ultraviolet light, high-intensity light pulses, pulsed electric fields, antimicrobials, and modified atmosphere packaging are discussed in this review for reducing Campylobacter contamination. Although these measures have achieved promising results, most have not been integrated within processing operations due to a lack of knowledge or an unwillingness to implement these into existing processing systems. Furthermore, a combination of existing and novel strategies might be required to decrease the prevalence of this pathogen in poultry meat and enhance food safety. Therefore, further research will be essential to assess the effectiveness of all these strategies.

Molecular detection of virulence genes in Campylobacter species isolated from livestock production systems in South Africa

Campylobacter species are a major cause of foodborne bacterial infections in both developed and developing countries worldwide. Campylobacter jejuni is responsible for the majority of infections. This study was conducted to identify virulence-associated genes in Campylobacter species isolated from livestock production systems in South Africa. A total of 250 fecal samples consisting of cattle (n=50), chickens (n=50), goats (n=50), sheep (n=50) and pigs (n=50) were randomly collected from livestock in Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa between April and October 2018. The samples were analyzed for the presence of virulence genes in Campylobacter species using molecular PCR-based methods. It was found that 77 and 23% of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli respectively were isolated from all the livestock samples. There were positive significant (P<0.05) correlations amongst all the virulence genes that were investigated. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were implemented to test for the effect of livestock species on the presence or absence of virulence genes. The study demonstrated that most of livestock species can potentially cause zoonotic infections and food poisoning due to the high prevalence of Campylobacter. The high prevalence of virulence genes highlights the significance of Campylobacter in livestock production systems in South Africa. This requires the implementation of one-health approaches to reduce the impact of foodborne and zoonotic diseases for the welfare of human and animal health.

Characterization and Prevalence of Campylobacter spp. From Broiler Chicken Rearing Period to the Slaughtering Process in Eastern China.

Campylobacter is one of the most important foodborne pathogens worldwide, and poultry is regarded as the main reservoir of Campylobacter. The contamination of Campylobacter in broiler chickens at the farm level is closely related to the transmission of Campylobacter in the poultry production chain. This study identified 464 Campylobacter isolates from 1,534 samples from broiler rearing period and slaughtering process including 233 Campylobacter jejuni isolates and 231 Campylobacter coli isolates. We have observed a dynamic distribution of Campylobacter during broiler chicken production, that 66.3% of Campylobacter isolates were C. jejuni during broiler rearing period, while C. coli occupied 60.4% of Campylobacter isolates during the broiler slaughtering process. A tag-label method allowed us to track the dynamic of Campylobacter in each broiler chicken from 31-day age at rearing to the partition step in the slaughterhouse. At the 31-day during rearing, 150 broiler chicken were labeled, and was tracked for Campylobacter positive from rearing period to slaughtering process. Among the labeled broiler, 11 of the tracking broiler samples were able to detect Campylobacter from rearing period to slaughtering. All Campylobacter isolates from the 11 tracking samples were sequenced and analyzed. C. jejuni isolates were divided into four STs and C. coli isolates were divided into six STs. Isolates with identical core genome were observed from the same tag-labeled samples at different stages indicating a vertical transmission of Campylobacter in the early broiler meat production. Meanwhile, the core genome analysis elucidated the cross-contamination of Campylobacter during the rearing period and the slaughtering process. The virulotyping analysis revealed that all C. jejuni isolates shared the same virulotypes, while C. coli isolates were divided into three different virulotypes. The antimicrobial resistance gene analysis demonstrated that all Campylobacter isolates contained at least two antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and the ARG profiles were well-corresponding to each ST type. Our study observed a high prevalence of Campylobacter during the early chicken meat production, and further studies will be needed to investigate the diversity and transmission of Campylobacter in the poultry production chain.

&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Campylobacter, Salmonella&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; and &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Escherichia coli&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; Food Contamination Risk in Free-Range Poultry Production System

Livestock such as poultry is consumed as food worldwide and it constitutes one of the main protein sources for diners, as well as an important source of revenue generation for farmers. Poultry meat production chain identifies a significant role of the farm to folk. Most often, the systems used in poultry production can result in a higher prevalence of Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli contamination, leading to adverse health effects with detrimental consequences. The method of poultry keeping plays a significant role in the poultry meats’ outcome and its food safety standards. Farmers attempt to develop new poultry operations, however, there are two main possibilities; to operate within the present vertically integrated system which is incredibly good for disease prevention and to develop independently, or a smaller operation that is more animal friendly. This article reviews the available research on the impact of free-range poultry production systems on food safety, most importantly the prevalence and control of Campylobacter, Salmonella and Escherichia coli in free-range production systems. The results suggest a conflicting view when bacterial loads of poultry meat from conventional and free-range systems are compared. Studies have shown increased bacterial loads in a free-range production system.

Campylobacter in Street Vended Poultry Meat Meals and its Public Health Hazard

In this study, a total of (250) samples were collected from different ready to eat poultry meat products, (50) samples from each of (Chicken Bannae, Chicken Shawarma, Chicken Phaheta, Chicken Shesh kabab, Chicken Zinger) from vending sites and restaurants of different localities of different level of hygienic measures in Cairo governorate to detect and identify the Campylobacter species bacteriologically by direct plating and selective enrichment methods and by PCR. As regards to the Bacteriological examination of (250) collected ready to eat poultry products meal, the obtained results revealed the isolation of Campylobacter spp. from (8) samples with a prevalence rate reached (3.2%) by studding the morphological identification on the selective culture media and microscopically identification as well as the biochemical reactions. On the other hand, the all isolated strains proved to be C. jejuni by molecular identification (PCR assay) using specific primers. For experimental challenge, the isolated strains of Campylobacter jejuni were cultured to investigate the role of cross - contamination in disseminating campylobacter from raw poultry within a food service operation specializing in poultry dishes. Samples were collected weekly from environmental surfaces and various kitchen surfaces used at different stages of the preparation process from a retail poultry food service operation. The obtained results revealed that with use of an inoculum of 107 cells, viable C. jejuni could not be recovered from the stainless steel surface after 1 hrs. of drying. Also, Campylobacter spp. were not detected in any of the 125 restaurant samples collected The results indicated that as few as 100 Campylobacter cells could be detected if sampling was done within 45 min of inoculation; however, despite the reported high prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in ready to eat poultry meal, this organism was not detected on surfaces within a kitchen of a restaurant specializing in Poultry dishes. This inability to detect Campylobacters may be related to routine cleaning of preparation surfaces, adequate preparation and storage of foodstuffs, good worker hygiene, and physical separation of raw foods from cooked foods, limiting cross-contamination. It is also likely that the lack of Campylobacters in samples from this high-volume retail food service operation may also be attributed to the sensitivity of Campylobacter spp. to drying conditions.

Essential Oils as an Intervention Strategy to Reduce Campylobacter in Poultry Production: A Review.

Campylobacter is a major foodborne pathogen and can be acquired through consumption of poultry products. With 1.3 million United States cases a year, the high prevalence of Campylobacter within the poultry gastrointestinal tract is a public health concern and thus a target for the development of intervention strategies. Increasing demand for antibiotic-free products has led to the promotion of various alternative pathogen control measures both at the farm and processing level. One such measure includes utilizing essential oils in both pre- and post-harvest settings. Essential oils are derived from plant-based extracts, and there are currently over 300 commercially available compounds. They have been proposed to control Campylobacter in the gastrointestinal tract of broilers. When used in concentrations low enough to not influence sensory characteristics, essential oils have also been proposed to decrease bacterial contamination of the poultry product during processing. This review explores the use of essential oils, particularly thymol, carvacrol, and cinnamaldehyde, and their role in reducing Campylobacter concentrations both pre- and post-harvest. This review also details the suggested mechanisms of action of essential oils on Campylobacter.

Retail liver juices enhance the survivability of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli at low temperatures

The high prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in retail liver products was previously reported and has been linked to several outbreaks of campylobacteriosis. The main objective of this study was to investigate the influence of retail liver juices on the survivability of several strains of C. jejuni and C. coli, which were previously isolated from various retail meats at 4 °C. All tested Campylobacter strains showed higher survival in beef liver juice (BLJ) and chicken liver juice (CLJ) as compared to beef and chicken juices (BJ and CJ) or Mueller Hinton broth (MHB) at 4 °C. Overall, C. jejuni strains showed greater survival in retail liver and meat juices as compared to C. coli. CLJ enhanced biofilm formation of most C. coli strains and supported growth in favorable conditions. When diluted, retail liver and meat juices enhanced survival of Campylobacter strains at low temperatures and increased aerotolerance. In conclusion, beef and chicken liver juices enhanced the survival of C. jejuni and C. coli strains at low temperatures, which helps explain the high prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in retail liver products.

Campylobacter in food production chain in Vojvodina province (Serbia)

Enteritis campylobacterialis has an increasing trend in Serbia. Human illness usually appears as sporadic case, most commonly in children with obvious seasonality. In registered outbreaks, incriminated food was most frequently poultry meat. Campylobacter is one of the most important food borne pathogens, commonly underreported, mostly because isolation of this bacteria requires specific equipment. Since 1 January 2019, monitoring of Campylobacter in poultry carcasses is mandatory when it comes to poultry production fa?cilities in Serbia. The aim of this paper was to analyze data from Autonomous Province of Vojvodina about the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in poultry meat and risk for human illness. Our results indicate high prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in whole food chain: poultry farms, slaughterhouses, retail and, correspondingly, high risk for consumers in Vojvodina. Measures for risk reduction of disease incidence include better bio security measures on the farm level as a main source of pathogen but also introduction of Campylo?bacter diagnostic equipment in all human diagnostic and food control laboratories.

Campylobacter, a zoonotic pathogen of global importance: Prevalence and risk factors in the fast-evolving chicken meat system of Nairobi, Kenya.

Campylobacteriosis is a leading foodborne zoonosis worldwide, and is frequently associated with handling and consumption of poultry meat. Various studies indicate that Campylobacter causes a substantial human disease burden in low to middle-income countries, but data regarding the organism’s epidemiology in countries like Kenya are scarce. In sub-Saharan Africa, 3.8 million deaths of children under-5 years of age are reported annually. Of those, 25% are caused by diarrheal diseases, and Campylobacter is one of the most frequently isolated bacteria from diarrheic children. With the growth of urban conglomerates, such as Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, changes in diets, food production systems, and retailing dynamics, it is likely that exposure and susceptibility to this pathogen will change. Therefore, the importance of Campylobacter disease burden in Kenya may increase further. The objectives of this study were: 1) to determine the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in Nairobi’s small-scale chicken farms and meat retailers, and 2) to identify potential risk factors associated with its presence in those sites. The prevalence data provides the first detailed baseline for this pathogen in the urban Kenyan context. The risk factors provide context-specific insights for disease managers. A cross-sectional study of broiler, indigenous chicken farms, and chicken meat retailers, was conducted in a peri-urban, low to middle-income area (Dagoretti), and a very-low income informal settlement (Kibera) of Nairobi. Chicken faeces were collected using one pair of boot socks per farm, and 3 raw chicken meat samples were purchased per retailer. Samples were cultured for viable Campylobacter spp. using mCCDA, followed by blood agar plates in aerobic/microaerobic conditions for prevalence calculations. A questionnaire-based survey on sanitary, sourcing and selling practices was conducted at each site for risk factor identification using logistic regression analyses. A total of 171 farm premises and 53 retailers were sampled and interviewed. The prevalence results for Campylobacter spp. were between 33 to 44% for broiler and indigenous chicken farms, 60% and 64% for retailers, in Dagoretti and Kibera, respectively. Univariable logistic regression showed an association between Campylobacter spp. presence and the easiness of cleaning the display material used by the retailer. Restricting access to the flock was also associated with the pathogen’s presence. Multivariable logistic regression identified the selling of defrosted meat as a retailer risk factor (OR: 4.69; 95% CI: 1.31–19.97), calling for more investigation of the reported repetitive freezing-thawing processes and cold chain improvement options. At the farm-level, having a pen floor of material not easy to clean was found to increase the risk (OR: 2.31; 95%CI: 1.06–5.37). The relatively high prevalence of Campylobacter spp. across different areas and value chain nodes indicates a clear human exposure risk. The open nature of both small-scale broiler and indigenous chicken production practices with low biosecurity, hygiene and informal transactions, likely plays a role in this. While gradual improvement of farm biosecurity is recommended, risk factors identified suggest that consumer education and enforcement of basic food safety principles at the retailer end of the food continuum represent key targets for risk reduction in informal settings.

Enteric Infections Are Common in Patients with Flares of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Few studies have examined the role of non-Clostridium difficile enteric infections in flares of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our objective was to investigate enteric infection detected by multiplex PCR stool testing in patients with IBD. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 9403 patients who underwent 13,231 stool tests with a gastrointestinal pathogen PCR panel during a diarrheal illness from March 2015 to May 2017. Our primary outcome was the presence of an infection. Secondary outcomes included endoscopic and histologic predictors of infection, and IBD outcomes following testing. A total of 277 patients with Crohn's disease (CD), 300 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 8826 patients without IBD underwent 454, 503, and 12,275 tests, respectively. Compared to patients without IBD, patients with IBD were less likely to test positive (CD 18.1%, UC 16.1%, no IBD 26.6%, p < 0.001). Compared to patients without IBD, CD had a higher prevalence of norovirus (p = 0.05) and Campylobacter (p = 0.043), whereas UC had a lower prevalence of norovirus (p = 0.001) and a higher prevalence of Campylobacter (p = 0.013), Plesiomonas (p = 0.049), and Escherichia coli species (p < 0.001). Of 77 patients who underwent endoscopy, there were no major endoscopic or histologic predictors of a positive test. Patients who tested negative were more likely to have IBD therapy escalated (p = 0.004). Enteric infection did not impact IBD outcomes following testing (log-rank 0.224). Non-Clostridium difficile enteric infections were identified in 17% of symptomatic patients with IBD. Endoscopic and histologic findings may not differentiate flare from infection. Norovirus and E.coli may play an important role in flare of IBD.

Prevalence, associated risk factors and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Campylobacter species among dogs attending veterinary practices at Veterinary University, Mathura, India

Campylobacteriosis is among the leading bacterial causes of human gastroenteritis all over the world and most of the isolates are resistant to different antibacterials. Pet rearing has been identified as a risk factor for Campylobacter infection in humans. The study was conducted to determine the prevalence of faecal Campylobacter shedding among dogs, to estimate the specific prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni shedding, to identify the associated risk factors and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Campylobacter spp. in dogs attending veterinary practice at Veterinary University, Mathura, India. Rectal swabs were aseptically collected and incubated using selective media and species isolation was further processed following standard protocols. In addition, genus and species specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for species differentiation. A total of 134 dogs were included in this study. Among 134 faecal samples cultured, 38 samples (28.36%) were positive for Campylobacter species. C. jejuni was the most prevalent isolate in dogs. Breed, age, clinical signs of diarrhea and habitat sharing had statistically significant association with Campylobacter shedding. On drug sensitivity assay with 19 commonly used antibacterials 100% resistance was shown against amoxycillin, ampicillin, aztreonam, cefotaxim, lincomycin, oxytetracycline, penicillin, streptomycin and tetracycline. It was followed by pefloxacin (92.11%), chloramphenicol (86.84%), ciprofloxacin (84.21%), nitrofurazone (78.94%), ofloxacin (76.32%), norfloxacin (73.68%) and cefaclor (73.68%). The results of the present study revealed high prevalence of Campylobacter spp. among dogs. The prevalence was higher in dogs of nondescript breed, pups and dogs sharing their habitat. The antimicrobial resistance patterns showed a high rate of multi drug resistant isolates in the dog population. Therefore, awareness in handling of dogs is important to prevent the zoonotic transmission of bacteria from pets to human beings especially in children and immunocompromised patients.