Prevalence, Molecular Characterization and Antimicrobial Resistance of Thermophilic Campylobacter Isolates from Cattle, Hens, Broilers and Broiler Meat in South-eastern Italy

Abstract

Eleven cattle farms, 8 layer farms, 7 broiler farms and 30 broiler meat samples were investigated in south-eastern Italy throughout 2003 to evaluate the prevalence, the molecular type and antimicrobial resistance of thermophilic Campylobacters. A total of 398 samples were analysed. One Campylobacter isolate for each positive faecal swab and three isolates per positive broiler meat sample were selected for further analysis. Multiplex PCR was performed for species-level identification and PCR-RFLP of the flagellin A gene for genotyping. Resistance to 14 antimicrobials was studied in 188 Campylobacter isolates. Prevalence of campylobacters was high both on farms (100%) and in food samples (73%). On 4/11 cattle farms and on 10/15 poultry farms more than one species was isolated. The presence of more than one genotype was found on 8/11 cattle farms, on 10/15 poultry farms and in 8/22 Campylobacter-positive food samples. High rates of resistance to quinolone were observed: 9/31 (29%) C. jejuni bovine isolates, 4/22 (18%) C. jejuni poultry isolates, and 14/26 (54%) C. coli poultry isolates. Resistance to sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim was also observed frequently: 18/26 (69%) of the avian C. coli strains, 25/31 (80%) of the C. jejuni strains isolated from poultry and 15/22 (68%) of those isolated from cattle were resistant. There was a significant difference between the rate of resistance to macrolides of C. coli and C. jejuni isolated in poultry, which amounted to 23% and 3%, respectively. This study provided data on the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of thermophilic campylobacters in south-eastern Italy and confirmed that flaA-typing is an efficient tool to study the epidemiology of Campylobacter strains in short-term investigations.

Prevalence in Bulk Tank Milk and Epidemiology of Campylobacter jejuni in Dairy Herds in Northern Italy

“…These data agree with the contamination rates found in other European countries and in Italy: 12.3% in Luxembourg (27), 67.1% in Northern Spain (28), and 53.9 and 38.6% in Italy (16,17). Up to four different genotypes were found at each farm.…”

“…A minimum of 17 cattle per herd were randomly selected with a systematic sampling, and their feces (n ϭ 82) were obtained by direct rectal retrieval. The minimum sample size of 17 was calculated by using Win Episcope 2.0 based on 95% confidence and 15% expected prevalence (16,17; M. Luini, unpublished data) to detect at least one excreting cow, accounting for a total population of 165 heads (largest herd). When possible, the sampling fraction was increased (up to 35) in order to better estimate the prevalence.…”

Role of Poultry Meat in Sporadic Campylobacter Infections in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Laboratory-based Study

“…Farm chickens exhibited colonization by multiple strains of C coli and a single strain of C jejuni. The presence of multiple genotypes on the same farm may be related to the multiple sources of infection, or persistent infection load to a genetic drift within the bacterial population (28).…”

Campylobacter in sheep, calves and broiler chickens in the central region of Algeria: Phenotypic and antimicrobial resistance profiles

“…Such as 79.6% for Nigeria according to Salihu et al (2009a), 79.6% for China according to Chen et al (2010), 47.7% for Italy according to Parisi et al (2007), 87 and 34.1% for Canada according to Hakkinen et al (2007) and Hannon et al (2009), respectively. The reasons for the variations are unknown and could be attributable to differences in production practices and environments (Chen et al, 2010).…”