Current and Potential Treatments for Reducing Campylobacter Colonization in Animal Hosts and Disease in Humans

Abstract

Campylobacter jejuni is the leading cause of bacteria-derived gastroenteritis worldwide. In the developed world, Campylobacter is usually acquired by consuming under-cooked poultry, while in the developing world it is often obtained through drinking contaminated water. Once consumed, the bacteria adhere to the intestinal epithelium or mucus layer, causing toxin-mediated inhibition of fluid reabsorption from the intestine and invasion-induced inflammation and diarrhea. Traditionally, severe or prolonged cases of campylobacteriosis have been treated with antibiotics; however, overuse of these antibiotics has led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains. As the incidence of antibiotic resistance, emergence of post-infectious diseases, and economic burden associated with Campylobacter increases, it is becoming urgent that novel treatments are developed to reduce Campylobacter numbers in commercial poultry and campylobacteriosis in humans. The purpose of this review is to provide the current status of present and proposed treatments to combat Campylobacter infection in humans and colonization in animal reservoirs. These treatments include anti-Campylobacter compounds, probiotics, bacteriophage, vaccines, and anti-Campylobacter bacteriocins, all of which may be successful at reducing the incidence of campylobacteriosis in humans and/or colonization loads in poultry. In addition to reviewing treatments, we will also address several proposed targets that may be used in future development of novel anti-Campylobacter treatments.

Moderate-Throughput Identification and Comparison of Campylobacter-Infecting Bacteriophages

“…Additionally, the development of phage therapies may be attractive alternatives for treating Campylobacter infection in patients in the developing world since they are relatively cheap to produce, spare the commensal microbiota (particularly important for malnourished and immunocompromised patients), and can be dry powder formulated so that no refrigeration is necessary (36). The ability to eliminate Campylobacter in a specific manner is particularly important in developing nations since the gastrointestinal dysbiosis caused by traditional antibiotics puts patients at a further disadvantage for digestion and nutrient acquisition (3,37). We postulate bacteriophages that infect and kill Campylobacter have the potential to be developed into treatments, but further development and investigation is necessary.…”

“…In the developed world, the bacterium is thought to most often infect humans following the consumption of undercooked poultry, especially chickens, primarily due to the bacterium's ability to commensally reside within the avian gastrointestinal tract. Following ingestion, Campylobacter adheres to and invades epithelial cells lining the gastrointestinal tract, causing a potent inflammatory response that typically results in moderate to severe diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps (1)(2)(3). While most infections in the developed world are self-limiting, and patients often recover without treatment, there are several post-infectious disorders that can complicate recovery, including septicemia, Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and reactive arthritis (RA) (4).…”

“…Taken together, these observations indicate that the development of novel antimicrobials for the reduction or treatment of human Campylobacter infections is necessary (7). Several avenues of reducing the incidence of human campylobacteriosis have been pursued at various levels of the infectious cycle (3). As mentioned above, in the developed world, the most common infection source in humans is undercooked poultry.…”

Effect of Lactobacillus spp. on adhesion, invasion, and translocation of Campylobacter jejuni in chicken and pig small-intestinal epithelial cell lines

“…However, in the literature mostly in vitro models that have been used to investigate anti-Campylobacter activities of probiotics have been based on human cervical or intestinal cell lines [26].…”

Estudio de los caracteres epidemiológicos y control experimental de "Campylobacter jejuni" en el entorno de la producción de pollos para carne = Study of the epidemiological characteristics and experimental control of "Campylobacter jejuni" in the area of poultry for meat production

“…Además de favorecer la supervivencia, las biopelículas aumentan la eficiencia con la que las especies del género Campylobacter desarrollan resistencia a determinados antibióticos (Johnson et al, 2017). Por todo ello, para favorecer el control del microorganismo en la granja y, por tanto, reducir el riesgo alimentario, resulta imprescindible conocer los mecanismos responsables de su formación, así como aplicar medidas higiénicas específicas para la eliminación de las biopelículas.…”