Occurrence and Multidrug Resistance of Campylobacter in Chicken Meat from Different Production Systems

Abstract

Campylobacter is the leading bacterial cause of diarrheal disease worldwide and poultry remains the primary vehicle of its transmission to humans. Due to the rapid increase in antibiotic resistance among Campylobacter strains, the World Health Organization (WHO) added Campylobacter fluoroquinolone resistance to the WHO list of antibiotic-resistant “priority pathogens”. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence and antibiotic resistance of Campylobacter spp. in meat samples from chickens reared in different production systems: (a) conventional, (b) free-range and (c) backyard farming. Campylobacter spp. was detected in all samples from conventionally reared and free-range broilers and in 72.7% of backyard chicken samples. Levels of contamination were on average 2.7 × 103 colony forming units (CFU)/g, 4.4 × 102 CFU/g and 4.2 × 104 CFU/g in conventionally reared, free-range and backyard chickens, respectively. Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli were the only species isolated. Distribution of these species does not seem to be affected by the production system. The overall prevalence of Campylobacter isolates exhibiting resistance to at least one antimicrobial was 98.4%. All the C. coli isolates showed resistance to ciprofloxacin and to nalidixic acid, and 79.5 and 97.4% to ampicillin and tetracycline, respectively. In total, 96.2% of C. jejuni isolates displayed a resistant phenotype to ciprofloxacin and to nalidixic acid, and 92.3% to ampicillin and tetracycline. Of the 130 Campylobacter isolates tested, 97.7% were classified as multidrug resistant (MDR).

A broad host phage, CP6, for combating multidrug-resistant Campylobacter prevalent in poultry meat

“…About 65% of Campylobacter isolates were resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents in this work. Many previous studies have described the increasing rate of MDR phenotypes of Campylobacter isolates of human and chicken meat origin in China and other countries ( Habib et al, 2023 ; Zhang et al, 2016 ; Santos-Ferreira et al, 2022 ; Wang et al, 2022 ). The comparatively high resistance rate of ciprofloxacin and macrolide and the high level of MDR Campylobacter isolated from poultry meat is an important public-health issue, requiring multidisciplinary-level interventions.…”

Avian campylobacteriosis, prevalence, sources, hazards, antibiotic resistance, poultry meat contamination, and control measures: a comprehensive review

“…Naturally occurring Campylobacter strains have developed resistance to many medications, including vancomycin, trimethoprim, rifampin, and bacitracin ( Myintzaw et al, 2023 ). However, the precise resistance mechanisms remain unclear ( Sproston et al, 2018 ; Santos-Ferreira et al, 2022 ). In addition, Campylobacter is resistant to fluoroquinolone, macrolides, and tetracycline ( Tang et al, 2017 ; Vizzini et al, 2021 ).…”

The rise of antibiotic resistance in Campylobacter

“…The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Campylobacter a high-priority antibiotic-resistant pathogen due to a rapid rise in quinolone resistance [4]. The primary choice of antibiotics in the treatment of human Campylobacter infection are quinolones (ciprofloxacin) and macrolides (erythromycin and azithromycin) [5,6]. Both ciprofloxacin-and erythromycin-resistant Campylobacter are prevalent in many countries and climate regions, and constitute a major clinical challenge [6].…”

“…The primary choice of antibiotics in the treatment of human Campylobacter infection are quinolones (ciprofloxacin) and macrolides (erythromycin and azithromycin) [5,6]. Both ciprofloxacin-and erythromycin-resistant Campylobacter are prevalent in many countries and climate regions, and constitute a major clinical challenge [6].…”