Campylobacteriosis Agents in Meat Carcasses Collected from Two District Municipalities in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Abstract

Raw meats are sometimes contaminated with Campylobacter species from animal faeces, and meats have repeatedly been implicated in foodborne infections. This study evaluated the prevalence, virulence genes, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, and resistance gene determinants in Campylobacter species isolated from retailed meat carcasses. A total of 248 raw meat samples were collected from butcheries, supermarkets, and open markets; processed for enrichment in Bolton broth; and incubated at 42 °C for 48 h in 10% CO2. Thereafter, the broths were streaked on modified charcoal cefoperazone deoxycholate agar (mCCDA) plates and incubated at the same conditions and for the same amount of time. After incubation, colonies were isolated and confirmed by Polymerase chain reaction using specific oligonucleotide sequences used for the identification of the genus Campylobacter, species, and their virulence markers. The patterns of antimicrobial resistance profiles of the identified isolates were studied by disk diffusion method against 12 antibiotics, and relevant resistance genes were assessed by PCR. From culture, 845 presumptive Campylobacter isolates were obtained, of which 240 (28.4%) were identified as genus Campylobacter. These were then characterised into four species, of which C. coli had the highest prevalence rate (22.08%), followed by C. jejuni (16.66%) and C. fetus (3.73%). The virulence genes detected included iam (43.14%), cadF (37.25%), cdtB (23.53%), flgR (18.63%), and flaA (1.96%), and some of the isolates co-harboured two to four virulence genes. Of the 12 antibiotics tested, the highest phenotypic resistance displayed by Campylobacter isolates was against clindamycin (100%), and the lowest level of resistance was observed against imipenem (23.33%). The frequency of resistance genes detected included catll (91.78%), tetA (68.82%), gyra (61.76%), ampC (55%), aac(3)-IIa (aacC2)a (40.98%), tetM (38.71%), ermB (18.29%), tetB (12.90%), and tetK (2.15%). There is a high incidence of Campylobacter species in meat carcasses, suggesting these to be a reservoir of campylobacteriosis agents in this community, and as such, consumption of undercooked meats in this community is a potential health risk to consumers.

Occurrence, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Molecular Characterization of Campylobacter spp. in Intensive Pig Production in South Africa

“…from intensive food animal production in KwaZulu-Natal. Nevertheless, the efflux genes, tetA and tetB , have also been reported [ 5 , 22 ].…”

“…Campylobacter spp. are prevalent in food animals, including pigs, poultry, cattle, goats, and sheep [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. Notably, in these animals’ gastrointestinal tract, which serves as a reservoir for the bacteria.…”

Molecular determination of genetic diversity among Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolated from milk, water, and meat samples using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR (ERIC-PCR)

“…DNA was extracted by boiling method following the procedure described by [ 28 ], with slight modification as reported by [ 29 ].…”

Tracking Antimicrobial Resistance Determinants in Diarrheal Pathogens: A Cross-Institutional Pilot Study

“…Since erm (B)- aadE - aphA3 - tet (O) clusters have been documented in a number of plasmids [ 47 ], co-carriage of these four genes suggests that this strain may harbor a plasmid. The prevalence of erm (B) amongst Campylobacter spp., while not historically high, has recently increased in East Asia and Southern Africa [ 47 , 48 ].…”