PREVALENCE AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANC PATTERNS OF CAMPYLOBACTER SPECIES ISOLATED FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES IN EYGPT

Abstract

Campylobacter food poisoning is understated in developing countries. To determine the occurrence and antimicrobial resistance of this pathogen in Zagazig City, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, a total of 286 samples from chicken (195), cattle (47) and human (44) were collected. Bacteriological examination of the collected samples revealed high prevalence rates of Campylobacter species from human stool, chicken and raw milk samples (90.91%, 86.15% and 82.98%, respectively). C. jejuni was recognized as the most frequently recovered species (63.29%). There were no significant effects on the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. based on the sample type (p = 0.54). Thirty eight campylobacter isolates were confirmed molecularly using PCR amplification of 23S rRNA gene. Furthermore, PCR targeting mapA and ceuE genes were then applied for the confirmation of C. jejuni and C. coli isolates, respectively. The antibiotic resistance results showed that all isolates (100%) were resistant to ampicillin, amoxicillin and erythromycin. On the other hand, the lowest resistance rates were detected against amikacin, impenem and cefoxitin (28.74%, 32.39% and 47.77, respectively). In total, 207 (83.81%) campylobacter isolates were MDR, while 38 isolates (15.38%) and 2 chicken C. jejuni isolates (0.81%) were XDR and PDR, respectively. One hundred and forty five antimicrobial resistance profiles were generated with an MAR index of 0.45 or greater. Our results suggested that the presence of MDR campylobacters in chicken and raw milk, specifically to erythromycin and/ or ciprofloxacin aggravates the human health alarm and emphasizes the necessity to educate the consumers about the safeness and the goodness of such foods.