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A spatial-genomic analysis reveals that bird species living closer to humans have higher diversity of the pathogen Campylobacter and its antimicrobial resistance genes. This suggests that urbanization could promote pathogen transmission among wild animals and, potentially, humans., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Goats are often asymptomatic carriers of Campylobacter , including the foodborne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni. Infections can have significant and economically detrimental health outcomes in both humans and animals. The primary objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of Campylobacter in U.S. goat herds. Campylobacter species were isolated from 106 of 3,959 individual animals and from 42 of 277 goat operations that participated in fecal sample collection as part of the National Animal Health Monitoring System Goat 2019 study. Weighted animal-level prevalence was 2.3% (SE = 0.5%) and operation prevalence was 13.0% (SE = 3.2%). Animal-level prevalence ranged widely from 0 to 70.0%, however, 52.4% of positive operations (22/42) had only a single isolate. C. jejuni was the most frequently isolated species (68.9%; 73/106), followed by C. coli (29.3%, 31/106). A total of 46.2% (36/78) of viable isolates were pan-susceptible to 8 antimicrobials. Resistance to tetracycline (TET) was observed in 44.9% (35/78) of isolates, while 12.8% (10/78) were resistant to ciprofloxacin (CIP) and nalidixic acid (NAL). Among all isolates, a single resistance profile CIP-NAL-TET was observed in 3.8% (3/78) of isolates. A total of 35 unique sequence types (STs) were identified, 11 of which are potentially new. Multiple C. jejuni STs were observed in 48.1% (13/27) of positive operations. Goats with access to surface water, operations reporting antibiotics in the feed or water (excluding ionophores and coccidiostats), and operations reporting abortions and without postabortion management tasks had significantly greater odds of being Campylobacter positive. This snapshot of the U.S. goat population enriches the limited pool of knowledge on Campylobacter species presence in U.S. goats.

Context: Routine case investigations are critical for enteric disease control and surveillance. Given limited resources and staffing, public health agencies are exploring more efficient case investigation methods., Objective: To identify and describe the advantages and disadvantages of using online surveys to supplement routine enteric disease case investigations., Design: We evaluated routine Campylobacter interview data collected via telephone vs online by interviewers with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment., Setting and Participation: Colorado laboratory-confirmed Campylobacter cases reported from September 1, 2020, through December 31, 2021., Main Outcome Measures: We calculated modality preference, response rates, and data quality (missing and unknown answers) and compared demographics (age, gender, and urban vs rural) by modality. Estimated staff time savings and investigation timeliness were compared., Results: Modality preference was split among the 966 contacted Campylobacter cases (46% telephone, 50% online, and 4% refusal). Among online respondents, 57% completed the survey for an overall 63% response rate. Females and those 18 to 44 years of age were most likely to select (55%, 60%) and complete (57%, 66%) the online survey, while those under 18 and over 65 years of age were least likely to select (47%, 45%) or complete (53%, 46%). Those who identified as non-Hispanic Black were most likely to select online (62%), whereas those who identified as mixed-race non-Hispanic and non-Hispanic White had the highest completion (78%, 60%). Modality preference was comparable by geography; however, rural residents had higher completion rates (61%). Data quality and completeness were comparable between modalities. Completing the 274 online surveys via telephone would have taken an estimated 78 hours of additional staff time., Conclusions: Online surveys can increase public health efficiency and capacity while maintaining data quality. However, use should be limited to high-burden, low-resource pathogens due to reduced response rates. Understanding implementation best practices and conducting regular evaluation are critical for optimization., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Campylobacter is a significant zoonotic pathogen primarily transmitted through poultry. Our study aimed to assess antimicrobial resistance and genetic relationships among Campylobacter isolates from retail chicken meat and humans in Taiwan., Methods: Campylobacter isolates were analysed using whole-genome sequencing to investigate their antimicrobial resistance, genetic determinants of resistance, and genotypes., Results: Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter jejuni accounted for 44.9% and 55.1% of chicken meat isolates, and 11.4% and 88.6% of human isolates, respectively. C. coli displayed significantly higher resistance levels. Furthermore, isolates from chicken meat exhibited higher levels of resistance to most tested antimicrobials compared to isolates from humans. Multidrug resistance was observed in 96.3% of C. coli and 43.3% of C. jejuni isolates from chicken meat and 80.6% of C. coli and 15.8% of C. jejuni isolates from humans. Macrolide resistance was observed in 85.5% of C. coli isolates, primarily attributed to the erm(B) rather than the A2075G mutation in 23S rRNA. Among the 511 genomes, we identified 133 conventional MLST sequence types, indicating significant diversity among Campylobacter strains. Notably, hierarchical Core-genome multilocus sequence typing clustering, including HC0, HC5, and HC10, revealed a significant proportion of closely related isolates from chicken meat and humans., Conclusions: Our research highlights significant associations in antimicrobial resistance and genetic relatedness between Campylobacter isolates from chicken meat and humans in Taiwan. The genetic analysis data suggest that campylobacteriosis outbreaks may occur more frequently in Taiwan than previously assumed. Our study emphasizes the need for strategies to control multidrug-resistant strains and enhance outbreak prevention., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Campylobacteriosis, caused by Campylobacter spp., is one of the most important foodborne zoonotic diseases in the world and a common cause of gastroenteritis. In the European Union, campylobacteriosis is considered the most common zoonotic disease, with over 10,000 cases in 2020 alone. This high occurrence highlights the need of more efficient surveillance methods and identification of key points., Methods and Results: Herein, we evaluated and identified key points of Campylobacter spp. occurrence along the Spanish food chain during 2015-2020, based on the following variables: product, stage and region. We analysed a dataset provided by the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition using a machine learning algorithm (random forests). Campylobacter presence was influenced by the three selected explanatory variables, especially by product, followed by region and stage. Among the studied products, meat, especially poultry and sheep, presented the highest probability of occurrence of Campylobacter, where the bacterium was present in the initial, intermediate and final stages (e.g., wholesale, retail) of the food chain. The presence in final stages may represent direct consumer exposure to the bacteria., Conclussions: By using the random forest method, this study contributes to the identification of Campylobacter key points and the evaluation of control efforts in the Spanish food chain., (© 2024 The Author(s). Zoonoses and Public Health published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: Campylobacter is the most common food-borne pathogen in the European Union. In 2018, the crude incidence rate in Ireland was 63.6 per 100,000 population. Chicken is considered an important source of infection for humans. In 2015, the Campylobacter Stakeholders' Group (CSG) was established to reduce Campylobacter contamination levels in Irish broiler flocks., Aims: This work aimed to describe the Campylobacter monitoring programme that was established by the CSG, to analyse the results of this testing between 2019 and 2022, and to assess progress., Methods and Results: This paper describes the monitoring programme that was established by the CSG, which harmonized Campylobacter enumeration testing across all Irish broiler processors and allowed comparability of results for trend analysis. An analysis of the 2019-2022 data is presented here and compared to previous studies of Campylobacter levels in Irish broilers. An analysis of the 2019-2022 data showed a significant reduction in levels in both caeca and neck skin when the results from 2022 were compared to those from 2019 to 2020. Campylobacter spp. were detected in 37% of caecal samples from first depopulation (pre-thin) broilers and 30% of neck skin samples in 2022, with just 4% of carcases (in neck skin samples) with ≥1000 colony-forming units per gram detected in 2022. Campylobacter levels detected in Irish broilers, in the present monitoring programme were less than those reported in previous studies in both caecal and carcase samples, although not directly comparable for statistical significance because of differences in study methods., Conclusions: The cooperation between stakeholders and regulators of the Irish broiler chicken industry over the past decade has facilitated a coordinated approach to monitoring of Campylobacter levels in broilers, and implementation of control measures. This has enabled a steady reduction in the levels of Campylobacter in Irish chicken., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Campylobacter spp. are leading bacterial gastroenteritis pathogens. Infections are largely underreported, and the burden of outbreaks may be underestimated. Current strategies of testing as few as one isolate per sample can affect attribution of cases to epidemiologically important sources with high Campylobacter diversity, such as chicken meat. Multiple culture method combinations were utilized to recover and sequence Campylobacter from 45 retail chicken samples purchased across Norwich, UK, selecting up to 48 isolates per sample. Simulations based on resampling were used to assess the impact of Campylobacter sequence type (ST) diversity on outbreak detection. Campylobacter was recovered from 39 samples (87%), although only one sample was positive through all broth, temperature, and plate combinations. Three species were identified ( Campylobacter jejuni , Campylobacter coli , and Campylobacter lari ), and 33% of samples contained two species. Positive samples contained 1-8 STs. Simulation revealed that up to 87 isolates per sample would be required to detect 95% of the observed ST diversity, and 26 isolates would be required for the average probability of detecting a random theoretical outbreak ST to reach 95%. An optimized culture approach and selecting multiple isolates per sample are essential for more complete Campylobacter recovery to support outbreak investigation and source attribution.

Campylobacteriosis outbreaks have previously been linked to dairy foods. While the genetic diversity of Campylobacter is well understood in high-income countries, it is largely unknown in low-income countries, such as Ethiopia. This study therefore aimed to conduct the first genomic characterization of Campylobacter isolates from the Ethiopian dairy supply chain to aid in future epidemiological studies. Fourteen C. jejuni and four C. coli isolates were whole genome sequenced using an Illumina platform. Sequences were analyzed using the bioinformatics tools in the GalaxyTrakr platform to identify MLST types, and single nucleotide polymorphisms, and infer phylogenetic relationships among the studied isolates. Assembled genomes were further screened to detect antimicrobial resistance and virulence gene sequences. Among 14 C. jejuni, ST 2084 and ST 51, which belong to the clonal complexes ST-353 and ST-443, respectively, were identified. Among the 4 sequenced C. coli isolates, two isolates belonged to ST 1628 and two to ST 830 from the clonal complex ST-828. The isolates of C. jejuni ST 2084 and ST 51 carried β-lactam resistance gene blaOXA-605, a fluoroquinolone resistance-associated mutation T86I in the gryA gene, and a macrolide resistance-associated mutation A103V in 50S L22. Only ST 2084 isolates carried the tetracycline resistance gene tetO. Conversely, all four C. coli ST 830 and ST 1628 isolates carried tetO, but only ST 1628 isolates also carried blaOXA-605. Lastly, C. jejuni ST 2084 isolates carried a total of 89 virulence genes, and ST 51 isolates carried up to 88 virulence genes. Among C. coli, ST 830 isolates carried 71 genes involved in virulence, whereas two ST 1628 isolates carried up to 82 genes involved in virulence. Isolates from all identified STs have previously been isolated from human clinical cases, demonstrating a potential food safety concern. This finding warrants further monitoring of Campylobacter in dairy foods in Ethiopia to better understand and manage the risks associated with Campylobacter contamination and transmission., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Admasie et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Preventing pathogens from entering the broiler premises is the main biosecurity measure at farm level. In conventional broiler production, chickens are kept indoors during the entire production period. Pathogens can enter the broiler-producing unit from sources such as water, equipment, personnel, insects, and rodents. The possible routes must be controlled, and corrective measures applied when necessary. The objective of this study was to (1) develop a hygiene protocol and test the scheme on 30 farms, and (2) compare the results to their Campylobacter-colonised status. A Hygiene Performance Rating protocol at farm level (HPR-F) was developed to systematically review the production to identify risk areas to biosecurity. The HPR-F consists of 13 categories with related questions. For each question, a score was given from 1 to 3, where 1 meant "acceptable", 2 was "potential for improvements", and 3 was "not acceptable". Scores for each question were multiplied with weight factors for hygienic impact and economic consequences describing whether the necessary improvement depends on a significant investment or is a cheap quick-fix and calculated into a percentage where 100% is perfect hygiene. The 30 farms in the study were selected from one county in Norway. The Campylobacter-results for each of the 30 farms in 2019-2021 were given according to rules in the Norwegian Action Plan against Campylobacter faecal sampling on-farm 3-6 days prior to slaughter., Results: The overall results from the HPR-F showed that the general hygiene level was high in all farms. The mean total hygiene score was 82% and varied from 70 to 92%. The category Handling dead chicken had the highest hygiene score (93%), and Ventilation had the lowest score (55%). The HPR-F results were compared to the Campylobacter-status for the 30 farms: Campylobacter-negative flocks had slightly higher total scores than Campylobacter-positive flocks (P = 0.19). Among others, the category Outdoor area (vegetation close to the premises' walls) was identified as the most stable factor in relation to be colonised with Campylobacter., Conclusions: The HPR-F tested in this research trial provides a tool for veterinarians, advisors, and poultry farmers to improve biosecurity at farm level and enhance the preventive animal health initiatives., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Campylobacter spp. is a significant etiological agent of bacterial gastroenteritis globally. In Burkina Faso (BFA), the actual impact of this pathogen on gastroenteritis is considerably underestimated, primarily due to inadequate surveillance systems., Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the proportion of Campylobacter species responsible for acute gastroenteritis among patients of all ages in urban and rural areas of BFA, using molecular biology techniques., Study Design & Methods: Between 2018 and 2021, faecal specimens were obtained from 1,295 individuals presenting with acute gastroenteritis. These samples underwent screening for the Campylobacter coli/jejuni/lari complex utilizing real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Subsequently, positive samples were subjected to species-level differentiation through the application of species-specific primers., Results: Campylobacter spp. was detected in 25.0% (324/1,295) of the samples analysed. The majority of positive samples (95%, 308/324) were obtained from children under 5 years of age. Species identification was performed on a subset of 114 isolates, revealing 51 Campylobacter jejuni, 10 Campylobacter coli, and 53 Campylobacter isolates that remained unspeciated., Conclusions: This study reveals a significant prevalence of Campylobacter species among patients with acute gastroenteritis, with a particularly high incidence observed in children under 5 years of age. Based on these findings, the implementation of routine Campylobacter surveillance in public health laboratories is strongly recommended to better monitor and address this health concern., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Campylobacter spp. is recognized as one of the most common pathogens involved in the development of gastrointestinal infections in humans. The current study aimed to enhance the knowledge on the occurrence and molecular characterization of Campylobacter spp. in pigs and cattle origin caecum samples (n = 56) collected in one year, from nine Romanian slaughterhouses, and to determine the antimicrobial resistance profile of the isolated strains. All Campylobacter spp. strains (n = 41) isolated from swine and cattle caecum samples were analyzed in terms of antimicrobial resistance, in accordance with the EURL protocol and with the Commission Implementing Decision No. 2020/1729. The prevalence rate for C. coli. in pig caecum samples was 92.3% (36/39), and the prevalence of C. jejuni, in cattle origin samples was 29.4% (5/17). C. coli strains isolated from pigs proved resistant to tetracycline 75% (27/36), ciprofloxacin 69.4% (25/36), erythromycin 8.3% (3/36), ertapenem 2.8% (1/36) and gentamicin 2.8% (1/36), but no resistance was observed towards chloramphenicol. C. jejuni strains originating from cattle expressed resistance to ciprofloxacin 60.0% (3/5) and tetracycline 20.0% (1/5), but they were susceptible to chloramphenicol, erythromycin, ertapenem and gentamicin. In the present study, 19.5% (7/36) C. coli strains isolated from pigs were identified as multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. The obtained results demonstrated that pigs especially, but cattle to, can be considered important natural reservoirs for zoonotic multidrug-resistant Campylobacter strains, having a stimulating effect for further studies aiming at the molecular screening of the genotypic antimicrobial resistance processing of a higher number of samples., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Spotty Liver Disease (SLD), caused by Campylobacter hepaticus or C. bilis infection in adult female chickens continues to emerge as a major disease problem in cage-free production systems. Free range production has become the predominant system in Australian egg production and SLD is widespread in these farms. Previous studies have identified having a scratch area as a key determinant for SLD occurrence. An Australia-wide survey of egg production flocks with scratch areas was conducted regarding SLD including 48 individual flocks. Descriptive information on the facilities and flock management practices was reported. The incidence of SLD, age of first outbreak, initial mortality rate, duration of elevated mortality, and magnitude and duration of any associated egg production decline are described. Recurrence of SLD in the same flock was also reported and discussed. Therapies applied were recorded and assessed across SLD severity and duration. SLD occurred in 66.7% of layer flocks whose facility included a scratch area. Recurrent SLD outbreaks occurred in 31% of flocks experiencing SLD. Antibiotic medication reduced duration of mortality and egg production decline. Antibiotic therapy was associated with reduced duration of mortality and a less severe and shorter duration of egg production drops compared to untreated flocks. PCR detection of C. hepaticus in cloacal swabs and house dust samples and a serological ELISA test were compared and evaluated as diagnostic aids or as possible predictors of SLD outbreaks. The ELISA showed substantial agreement with detection of C. hepaticus in cloacal swabs by PCR. Examining composite house dust samples by PCR for C. hepaticus DNA appeared to be the most convenient and cost-effective aid to diagnosis and as a putative predictor for SLD outbreaks., Competing Interests: DISCLOSURES The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Campylobacter jejuni is recognized as a significant foodborne pathogen, and recent studies have indicated a rising trend of aminoglycosides resistance gene aph(2″)-If among C. jejuni isolates from food-producing animals in China. However, systematic information about aph(2″)-If-positive C. jejuni from food-producing animals and other sources worldwide based on whole-genome analysis remains a knowledge gap. In this study, we aimed to analyze the worldwide distribution, genetic environment and phylogenetic tree of aph(2″)-If by utilizing Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) data obtained, coupled with information in the GenBank database. A total of 160C. jejuni isolates in the GenBank database and 14C. jejuni isolates in our laboratory carrying aph(2″)-If gene were performed for further analysis. WGS analysis revealed the global distribution of aph(2″)-If among C. jejuni from 6 countries. Multilocus Sequence Typing(MLST) results indicated that 70 STs were involved in the dissemination of aph(2″)-If, with ST10086 being the predominant ST. Whole-genome Multilocus Sequence Typing(wg-MLST) analysis according to times, countries, and origins of C. jejuni isolation further demonstrated a close relationship between aph(2″)-If carrying C. jejuni isolates from farm and food. The findings also revealed the existence of 32 distinct types of genetic environments surrounding aph(2″)-If among these isolates. Notably, Type 30, characterized by the arrangement ISsag10-deoD-ant(9)-hp-hp-aph(2″)-If, emerged as the predominant genetic environment. In conclusion, our analysis provides the inaugural perspective on the worldwide distribution of aph(2″)-If. This resistance gene demonstrates horizontal transferability and regional diffusion in a clonal pattern. The close association observed among aph(2″)-If-positive C. jejuni strains isolated from poultry, food, and clinical environments underscores the potential for zoonotic transmission from these isolates., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors declared no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Children with under-five year age disproportionally affected with foodborne illness. Campylobacteriosis is the most common foodborne disease next to Norovirus infection. Macrolides are commonly prescribed as the first line of treatment for Campylobacter gastroenteritis, with fluoroquinolone and tetracycline as secondary options. However, resistance to these alternatives has been reported in various regions worldwide., Objective: To determine the prevalence, associated risk-factors and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli among under-five children with diarrhea., Methods: Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from November, 2022 to April 2023. The study sites were selected using a random sampling technique, while the study subjects were included using a convenient sampling technique. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Stool samples were inoculated onto modified charcoal cefoperazone deoxycholate agar and incubated for 48 hours. The suspected colonies were analyzed using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry to confirm the species. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using a disc diffusion technique. All potential covariates (independent variables) were analyzed one by one using bivariate logistic regression model to identify candidate variables with P value < 0.25. Multivariable logistic analysis was used to identify potential associated factors using the candidate variables. A p value ≤ 0.05 at a 95% confidence interval was statistically significant., Result: Among the 428 samples, 7.0% (CI: 4.5-9.3) were confirmed Campylobacter species. The prevalence of C. jejuni and C. coli among under-five children was 5.1% (CI: 3.0-7.0) and 1.9% (CI: 0.7-3.3), respectively. C. jejuni (73.3%) was dominant over C. coli (26.7%). The resident, contact with domestic animals, and parents/guardians education level were significantly associated with campylobacteriosis among under-five children. One-third of the Campylobacter isolates (33.3%, 10/30) were resistant to ciprofloxacin and tetracycline whereas 10.0% (3/30) were resistant to erythromycin. Furthermore, 3.3% (1/30) of the Campylobacter were found to be multidrug-resistant., Conclusion: The prevalence of Campylobacter species was 7.0%. The resistance rate of Campylobacter species of ciprofloxacin and tetracycline-resistance strains was 33.3%. Peri-urban residence, contact with domestic animals, and low parental educational statuses were significantly associated factors with increased risk of Campylobacter infection. Continuous surveillance on antimicrobial resistance and health education of personal and environmental hygiene should be implemented in the community., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Worku et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Previous work has found climate change-induced weather variability is suspected to increase the transmission of enteric pathogens, including Campylobacter, a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis. While the relationship between extreme weather events and diarrheal diseases has been documented, the specific impact on Campylobacter infections remains underexplored., Objective: To synthesize the peer-reviewed literature exploring the effect of weather variability on Campylobacter infections in humans., Methods: The review included English language, peer-reviewed articles, published up to September 1, 2022 in PubMed, Embase, GEOBASE, Agriculture and Environmental Science Database, and CABI Global Health exploring the effect of an antecedent weather event on human enteric illness caused by Campylobacter (PROSPERO Protocol # 351884). We extracted study information including data sources, methods, summary measures, and effect sizes. Quality and weight of evidence reported was summarized and bias assessed for each article., Results: After screening 278 articles, 47 articles (34 studies, 13 outbreak reports) were included in the evidence synthesis. Antecedent weather events included precipitation (n = 35), temperature (n = 30), relative humidity (n = 7), sunshine (n = 6), and El Niño and La Niña (n = 3). Reviewed studies demonstrated that increases in precipitation and temperature were correlated with Campylobacter infections under specific conditions, whereas low relative humidity and sunshine were negatively correlated. Articles estimating the effect of animal operations (n = 15) found presence and density of animal operations were significantly associated with infections. However, most of the included articles did not assess confounding by seasonality, presence of animal operations, or describe estimates of risk., Discussion: This review explores what is known about the influence of weather events on Campylobacter and identifies previously underreported negative associations between low relative humidity and sunshine on Campylobacter infections. Future research should explore pathogen-specific estimates of risk, which can be used to influence public health strategies, improve source attribution and causal pathways, and project disease burden due to climate change., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To investigate cases of five Campylobacter jejuni outbreaks and describe laboratory characteristics of these infections., Methods: Whole-genome sequencing and conventional methods were combined to thoroughly investigate the outbreaks, and data of contemporaneous sporadic cases was included for comparison., Results: Seven sequence types (STs) of C. jejuni caused 83 cases, including ST9079 which recurred across 2 years. Trace-back investigation could not identify any food items of infection but detected identical campylobacters from food contacts. Phylogenetic analysis unveiled genetic closeness between outbreak strains and some concurrent sporadic strains, indicating local campylobacteriosis may not be wholly sporadic but rather a series of linked cases. Virulence genes disclosed species/case-specific signatures to differentiate outbreaks from truly non-outbreak strains. Resistance to fluoroquinolones and/or macrolides was prevalent (90.8%, 108/119), with a noteworthy portion exhibiting multidrug resistance (31.1%, 37/119). Five types of plasmids were harbored among outbreak isolates, of which one plasmid harboring anti-stress and resistant genes was rarely found in C. jejuni., Conclusions: This is the first reported sequential outbreak of C. jejuni in China. Our observations help to define the genomic landscape and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Campylobacter, emphasizing the need for a broader 'One Health' perspective to combat the threats posed by campylobacteriosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interests All authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Swift identification and diagnosis of gastrointestinal infections are crucial for prompt treatment, prevention of complications, and reduction of the risk of hospital transmission. The radiological appearance on computed tomography could potentially provide important clues to the etiology of gastrointestinal infections. We aimed to describe features based on computed tomography of patients diagnosed with Campylobacter, Salmonella or Shigella infections in South Sweden., Methods: This was a retrospective observational population-based cohort study conducted between 2019 and 2022 in Skåne, southern Sweden, a region populated by 1.4 million people. Using data from the Department of Clinical Microbiology combined with data from the Department of Radiology, we identified all patients who underwent computed tomography of the abdomen CTA two days before and up to seven days after sampling due to the suspicion of Campylobacter, Salmonella or Shigella during the study period., Results: A total of 215 CTAs scans performed on 213 patients during the study period were included in the study. The median age of included patients was 45 years (range 11-86 years), and 54% (114/213) of the patients were women. Of the 215 CTAs, 80% ( n  = 172) had been performed due to Campylobacter and 20% ( n  = 43) due to Salmonella enteritis. CTA was not performed for any individual diagnosed with Shigella during the study period. There were no statistically significant differences in the radiological presentation of Campylobacter and Salmonella infections., Conclusion: The most common location of Campylobacter and Salmonella infections was the cecum, followed by the ascending colon. Enteric wall edema, contrast loading of the affected mucosa, and enteric fat stranding are typical features of both infections. The CTA characteristics of Campylobacter and Salmonella are similar, and cannot be used to reliably differentiate between different infectious etiologies.

Objective: The Autonomous Community of Galicia has adopted DECREE 216/2011 on health standards for poultry production, in addition to the Spanish national programs. However, no program has yet been implemented to eradicate campylobacteriosis, which shares the same reservoir. The aim of this study was to compare the evolution of Salmonella spp. isolates with respect to those of Campylobacter spp. in faecal samples received by the Microbiology Department., Methods: A retrospective descriptive comparative study was conducted through the Laboratory Information System (SIL) of Salmonella spp. isolated against Campylobacter spp. in faeces between 2011 and 2022 at the Lucus Augusti University Hospital (HULA), Lugo, Spain., Results: A total of 35,704 stool samples were analysed, of which 3,045 were positive. 751 Salmonella spp. were isolated. Statistical differences were observed in the annual distribution (p<0.01), with a clear turning point in 2018. Five hundred and five patients required hospital care, especially in 2014 with 72 patients (69%). On the other hand, 1,587 Campylobacter spp. were isolated. Required hospital care 1,002 patients during the study, with a peak in 2019 with 111 cases (62%)., Conclusions: The reduction of salmonellosis cases and the maintenance of campylobacteriosis cases are directly related to the implementation of DECREE 216/2011. This, in turn, has reduced the pressure on hospitals in the HULA health area. Therefore, we believe that the ONE Health concept is being strengthened in the area studied., (©The Author 2024. Published by Sociedad Española de Quimioterapia. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).)

Campylobacteriosis disproportionately affects children under five in low-income countries. However, epidemiological and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) information at the children-animal interface is lacking. We hypothesized that Campylobacter is a major cause of enteritis in children in Ethiopia, and contact with animals is a potential source of transmission. The objective of the study was to determine Campylobacter occurrence and its AMR in children under five with diarrhea, backyard farm animals, and companion pets. Stool from 303 children and feces from 711 animals were sampled. Campylobacter was isolated through membrane filtration on modified charcoal cefoperazone deoxycholate agar plates under microaerobic incubation, and the technique showed to be feasible for use in regions lacking organized laboratories. Typical isolates were characterized with MALDI-TOF MS and multiplex PCR. Of 303 children, 20% (n = 59) were infected, with a higher proportion in the 6 to 11-month age group. Campylobacter occurred in 64% (n = 14) of dogs and 44% (n = 112) of poultry. Campylobacter jejuni was present in both a child and animal species in 15% (n = 23) of 149 households positive for Campylobacter. MICs using the gradient strip diffusion test of 128 isolates displayed resistance rates of 20% to ciprofloxacin and 11% to doxycycline. MICs of ciprofloxacin and doxycycline varied between C. coli and C. jejuni, with higher resistance in C. coli and poultry isolates. Campylobacter infection in children and its prevalent excretion from backyard poultry and dogs is a understudied concern. The co-occurrence of C. jejuni in animals and children suggest household-level transmission As resistance to ciprofloxacin and doxycycline was observed, therapy of severe campylobacteriosis should consider susceptibility testing. Findings from this study can support evidence-based diagnosis, antimicrobial treatment, and further investigations on the spread of AMR mechanisms for informed One Health intervention., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Mulu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Campylobacter infections are a leading cause of bacterial diarrheal illness worldwide, with increasing reports of outbreaks in both developing and developed countries. Most studies investigating strain genotypes and epidemiology of Campylobacter jejuni examined on a local scale. Using the archived multilocus sequence typing data at seven loci, and associated strain metadata from the PubMLST database, here we investigated the spatial and temporal genetic structure of the global population of C. jejuni . Our analyses revealed evidence for clonal dispersals of multiple sequence types (STs) among countries and continents. However, despite the observed clonal dispersal and that most genetic variations were found within individual geographic subpopulations, both the non-clone-corrected and clone-corrected samples showed evidence of significant genetic differentiation among national and continental subpopulations, with non-clone-corrected samples showing greater differentiation than clone-corrected samples. Phylogenetic incompatibility analyses provided evidence for recombination within each continental subpopulation. However, linkage disequilibrium analyses rejected the hypothesis of random recombination across the samples. Temporally, multiple STs were found to persist across four decades and the five globally most common STs showed relatively stable frequencies over the last two decades. We discussed the implications of our results to food security, disease transmission, and public health management., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Purpose: We aimed to explore the clinical characteristics of Campylobacter bacteraemia and identify the trends, risk factors for mortality, and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns from clinical samples., Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients confirmed to have Campylobacter bacteraemia from seven hospitals between January 2010 and June 2021. Data on demographics and underlying history, clinical manifestation, and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were collected and analyzed. Annual cases of Campylobacter enteritis were extracted from a public database., Results: A total of 108 patients were included, and five species were isolated. Campylobacter jejuni accounted for 54 (50.0%) cases and 17 (16%) patients had no symptoms other than fever. In-hospital mortality occurred in 14 (13.0%) patients. C. jejuni bacteraemia was associated with lower mortality compared to non-C. jejuni bacteraemia. Underlying cancer and septic shock were the significant factors associated with in-hospital mortality. Quinolone resistance was high (59%), whereas only 4% of isolates exhibited macrolide resistance. There has been a significant increase in the number of Campylobacter enteritis cases, which was strongly correlated with the number of Campylobacter bacteraemia cases (Pearson's coefficient: 0.953; p < 0.0001)., Conclusion: The notably increasing incidence of Campylobacter bacteraemia and antibiotic resistance patterns can challenge the treatment, necessitating collective efforts of national surveillance and networks by many departments., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.)

Campylobacteriosis is a significant foodborne illness caused by Campylobacter bacteria. It is one of the most common bacterial causes of gastroenteritis worldwide, with poultry being a major reservoir and source of infection in humans. In poultry farms, Campylobacters colonize the intestinal tract of chickens and contaminate meat during processing. Vaccines under development against Campylobacters in poultry showed partial or no protection against their cecal colonization. Therefore, this review will elaborate on campylobacteriosis and emphasize the control strategies and recent vaccine trials against Campylobacters in poultry farms. The epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of Campylobacter infection, along with specific mention of poultry Campylobacter contamination events in Malaysia, will also be discussed.

Aim: Diarrhea is a common disease in immunocompromised patients and can be associated with greater morbidity and even mortality. Therefore, the present study was designed to determine the prevalence of Aeromonas spp., Campylobacter spp., and C. difficile among immunocompromised children., Methods: This study was conducted on 130 stool samples from patients with diarrhea who had defects in the immune system and were referred to Hazrat Masoumeh Children's Hospital in Qom. Demographic information, clinical symptoms, immune status, and duration of chemotherapy were also recorded for each child. DNAs were extracted from the stool, and then direct PCR assays were done by specific primers for the detection of Aeromonas spp., Campylobacter spp., and toxigenic C. difficile, including tcdA/B and cdtA/B genes. Co-infection in patients was also evaluated., Results: 60.8% and 39.2% were male and female, respectively, with a m ± SD age of 56.72 ± 40.49 months. Most cases of immunocompromised states were related to Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (77.7%) and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (14.6%). 93.1% of patients were undergoing chemotherapy during the study. Among patients, most clinical symptoms were related to bloody diarrhea (98.5%) and fever (92.3%). Based on PCR, 14.6, 9.2, and 1.5% were positive for Aeromonas spp., C. difficile, and C. jejuni, respectively. Among the C. difficile-positive cases, the tcdA gene was only detected in one patient. In total, three co-infections were identified, which included Aeromonas spp./C. difficile (tcdA + ), C. jejuni/C. difficile, and C. jejuni/Aeromonas spp., Conclusions: This is the first study in Iran to investigate the simultaneous prevalence of some pathogens in immunocompromised children with diarrhea. Because Aeromonas spp., Campylobacter spp., and C. difficile are not routinely detected in some laboratories, infections caused by them are underappreciated in the clinic. Our results showed that these pathogens are present in our region and can cause gastroenteritis in children, especially those with underlying diseases. Therefore, increasing the level of hygiene in some areas and controlling bacterial diarrheal diseases should be given more attention by health officials., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Campylobacter is the most reported zoonotic pathogen in humans in the European Union. Poultry is a major source of human infection with Campylobacter. Although many studies are done on the presence of Campylobacter in broilers and theoretically effective control measures are known, their relative importance at broiler farms remains poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Campylobacter on selected broiler farms in the Netherlands, to determine the moment of introduction, and associated risk factors. A longitudinal study on 25 broiler farms was carried out between June 2017 and December 2020. Fecal samples were collected weekly from 43 broiler houses. In total 497 flocks were sampled. Putative variables on flock and farm characteristics for a risk factor analysis were gathered through questionnaires. Risk factors associated with the presence of Campylobacter in a broiler flock were determined using regression models. In total 30% of the flocks included in the study were positive for Campylobacter. Factors associated with presence of Campylobacter at slaughter age included: season, mowing lawns and presence of agricultural side activities. While summer/autumn and mowing lawns were associated with an increase in Campylobacter presence in flocks, the farmer having agricultural side activities other than poultry production was associated with a decrease. Analysis of the age at which flocks first tested Campylobacter positive revealed that slower growing breeds became positive on average 1 wk later compared to regular growers. This study revealed a delayed introduction of Campylobacter in slower grower vs. regular grower broiler flocks reared indoors. In addition, it confirmed importance of season as major risk factor. The relevance of mowing and preceding positive flocks as risk factors needs further investigation., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Campylobacter is a frequent cause of enteric infections with common antimicrobial resistance issues. The most recent reports of campylobacteriosis in Italy include data from 2013 to 2016. We aimed to provide national epidemiological and microbiological data on human Campylobacter infections in Italy during the period 2017-2021., Methods: Data was collected from 19 Hospitals in 13 Italian Regions. Bacterial identification was performed by mass spectrometry. Antibiograms were determined with Etest or Kirby-Bauer (EUCAST criteria)., Results: In total, 5419 isolations of Campylobacter spp. were performed. The most common species were C. jejuni (n = 4535, 83.7%), followed by C. coli (n = 732, 13.5%) and C. fetus (n = 34, 0.6%). The mean age of patients was 34.61 years and 57.1% were males. Outpatients accounted for 54% of the cases detected. Campylobacter were isolated from faeces in 97.3% of cases and in 2.7% from blood. C. fetus was mostly isolated from blood (88.2% of cases). We tested for antimicrobial susceptibility 4627 isolates (85.4%). Resistance to ciprofloxacin and tetracyclines was 75.5% and 54.8%, respectively; resistance to erythromycin was 4.8%; clarithromycin 2% and azithromycin 2%. 50% of C. jejuni and C. coli were resistant to ≥ 2 antibiotics. Over the study period, resistance to ciprofloxacin and tetracyclines significantly decreased (p < 0.005), while resistance to macrolides remained stable., Conclusion: Campylobacter resistance to fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines in Italy is decreasing but is still high, while macrolides retain good activity., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: Campylobacter spp. is the leading cause of bacterial enteritis in industrialized countries, but the literature about its recurrence is scarce. The objective of this study is to analyze a case series of recurrent campylobacteriosis in adult and pediatric patients., Methods: During a two-year period, the demographic, clinical and microbiological data were collected retrospectively from patients who met the clinical criteria of recurrent Campylobacter spp. gastroenteritis. Enteropathogens were identified by a multiplex-PCR gastrointestinal pathogens panel. When Campylobacter spp. was detected, the stool sample was cultured in specific medium and tested for antibiotic susceptibility., Results: Twenty-four (2.03%) out of 1180 patients with Campylobacter spp. positive-PCR met the inclusion criteria. Thirteen patients suffered from underlying diseases, and 11 had no known risk factors but they were all pediatric patients. From the 24 patients were documented 70 episodes. One patient had two episodes of bacteremia. Coinfection/co-detection with other enteropathogens was found in 10 patients being Giardia intestinalis the most frequent. Twelve (22.6%) out of 53 isolates were resistant to macrolides. One patient had two isolates of multi-drug resistant C. coli, only susceptible to gentamicin., Conclusion: The results suggest the presence of underlying diseases in most adult patients with recurrent Campylobacter spp. infections, particularly primary immunodeficiency. Most of the pediatric patients with recurrent campylobacteriosis lack of known risk factors. Concomitant detection with other enteropathogens was common. The resistance to macrolides was much higher as compared with previous reported rates., (Copyright © 2022 Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Chickens are the primary reservoirs of Campylobacter spp., mainly C. jejuni and C. coli, that cause human bacterial gastrointestinal infections. However, genomic characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter spp. in low- to middle-income countries need more comprehensive exploration. This study aimed to characterize 21 C. jejuni and 5 C. coli isolates from commercial broilers and native chickens using whole genome sequencing and compare them to 28 reference Campylobacter sequences. Among the 26 isolates, 13 sequence types (ST) were identified in C. jejuni and 5 ST in C. coli. The prominent ST was ST 2274 (5 isolates, 19.2%), followed by ST 51, 460, 2409, and 6455 (2 isolates in each ST, 7.7%), while all remaining ST (464, 536, 595, 2083, 6736, 6964, 8096, 10437, 828, 872, 900, 8237, and 13540) had 1 isolate per ST (3.8%). Six types of antimicrobial resistance genes (ant(6)-Ia, aph(3')-III, bla OXA , cat, erm(B), and tet(O)) and one point mutations in the gyrA gene (Threonine-86-Isoleucine) and another in the rpsL gene (Lysine-43-Arginine) were detected. The bla OXA resistance gene was present in all isolates, the gyrA mutations was in 95.2% of C. jejuni and 80.0% of C. coli, and the tet(O) resistance gene in 76.2% of C. jejuni and 80.0% of C. coli. Additionally, 203 virulence-associated genes linked to 16 virulence factors were identified. In terms of phenotypic resistance, the C. jejuni isolates were all resistant to ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, and nalidixic acid, with lower levels of resistance to tetracycline (76.2%), tylosin (52.3%), erythromycin (23.8%), azithromycin (22.2%), and gentamicin (11.1%). Most C. coli isolates were resistant to all tested antimicrobials, while 1 C. coli was pan-susceptible except for tylosin. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms concordance varied widely, with differences of up to 13,375 single-nucleotide polymorphisms compared to the reference Campylobacter isolates, highlighting genetic divergence among comparative genomes. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the molecular epidemiology of Campylobacter spp. in Thai chicken production systems., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Bovine genital campylobacteriosis (BGC) and bovine trichomonosis (BT) are sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) that affect bovine breeding herds, decreasing their reproductive efficiency. The objective of this work was to estimate the prevalence of these diseases and their temporal-spatial distribution in the province of Formosa, Argentina. The cross-sectional study conducted between 2018 and 2021 included a total of 15,571 bulls, inter-herd prevalence being 29.62% and 17.23% for BGC and BT, respectively. The prevalence of positive animals was 2.05% for BGC and 0.43% for BT. The temporal-spatial analysis of BGC showed two distinct spatial groupings, one group had a low risk of contracting the disease (RR = 0.13; p < 0.001; 2018-2021) while the other group had a high risk (RR = 2.84; p < 0.001; 2020-2021). BT had a high-risk group for the disease (RR = 35.24; p < 0.001; 2019). This study shows that STDs are endemic in the region, providing updated and valuable information as a tool for the health management of these diseases., (Copyright © 2023. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Bovine genital campylobacteriosis, caused by the gram-negative bacteria Campylobacter fetus venerealis, and bovine trichomonosis, caused by the parasite protozoan Tritrichomonas foetus, are venereal diseases that occur with long intercalving periods and abortion. The control of both diseases relies on microbiological testing and culling infected bulls. Vaccination and antibiotic treatment may help in controlling campylobacteriosis but are not recommended for trichomonosis control. Several regions of the world have active control programs for trichomonosis, not campylobacteriosis. In Argentina, the state of La Pampa aims to eradicate trichomonosis and campylobacteriosis by imposing annual diagnostic testing of every bull and slaughtering positive animals. Prior studies indicated a declining trend in the prevalence of campylobacteriosis and trichomonosis in La Pampa. It was also proposed that the prevalence of one disease could be estimated from the prevalence of the other. The purpose of this retrospective analysis of data gathered from 2008 to 2021 was to determine the La Pampa program's efficacy. Descriptive statistics were employed to determine the reason behind the correlation between tricomonosis and campylobacteriosis diagnostic results. The outcomes refute the notion that this program of venereal eradication was a success. Furthermore, an excess of false positives in both diagnoses may have contributed to the correlation between the prevalences of campylobactriosis and trichomonosis. The practice of killing animals without verifying positive results hinders the determination of disease prevalence and results in the death of numerous healthy animals., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Campylobacter is a leading cause of enteric disease worldwide. No antibiotics ever (NAE) poultry has become increasingly popular, yet little is known about the incidence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of Campylobacter in this production system. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence, concentration, and AMR of Campylobacter in conventional (CV) and NAE-raised broilers. Two CV and two NAE commercial broiler flocks were included in this study. Cecum (n = 420) and ileum (n = 420) of chickens were collected at different stages during the broiler grow-out phase and following transportation to the processing plant. Samples of litter (n = 24), feed (n = 24), and water (n = 24) were also collected. Screening for Campylobacter was conducted using real-time PCR assay, and enumeration was performed by direct plating on Campy Cefex agar. Campylobacter isolates were confirmed by real-time PCR, and antimicrobial susceptibility was evaluated following the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) methods. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) was used to identify AMR genes carried by the resistant isolates. Campylobacter prevalence reached 100% within the first 3 weeks of summer production under both NAE and CV rearing. A lower Campylobacter prevalence was detected in conventionally raised broilers during fall (P ≤ 0.05), yet no change in prevalence was observed in NAE birds (P > 0.05). Populations were high in the cecum, carrying an average of 6.6 Log 10 CFU/g after transportation, and antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter was isolated from CV broilers during the fall. Three isolates (1.2%), identified as C. coli, carrying the gyrA and tet(O) genes, exhibited simultaneous resistance to ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, and nalidixic acid. Results from this study can help identify important shifts in gut microbial community dynamics and Campylobacter prevalence associated with antibiotic administration within commercial poultry operations., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Poultry is one of the most prominent sources of Campylobacter jejuni , which is also a major means of transmission to people. Campylobacter jejuni contamination in chicken meat comes from chicken feces because it naturally exists in the intestines of chickens., Aim: The purpose of this study is to identify the antibiotic resistance patterns and genes of C. jejuni , which was found in chickens in Pasuruan, Indonesia., Methods: The samples used in this study were 200 contents of the small intestine of broiler chickens from 40 farms in Pasuruan Regency. The enriched sample was streaked on the selective media of modified charcoal cefoperazone deoxycholate agar containing the CCDA selective supplement. Antimicrobial susceptibility test utilizing the Kirby-Bauer diffusion test method in accordance with Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute standards. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was used to detect the ( hip O), which encodes the C. jejuni strain, fluoroquinolone resistance ( gyr A ) , beta-lactam resistance ( bla OXA-61 ), and tetracycline resistance ( tet O) genes., Results: The findings revealed a 14% (28/200) prevalence of C. jejuni in the small intestine of broiler chickens. These isolates showed high resistance to enrofloxacin (92.9%). All isolates (100%) were susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanate. The PCR results showed all C. jejuni isolates (100%) detected the gyrA gene, 96.4% detected the bla OXA-61 gene, and 50% detected the tetO gene., Conclusion: The findings of antimicrobial resistance at a high level from the small intestine of broiler chickens illustrate the potential threat to human health. To lessen the effects now and in the future, coordinated and suitable action is needed, as well as steps to guarantee the poultry industry's economic survival and public health insurance., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

The prevalence of Campylobacter infection is generally high among children in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), but the dynamics of its acquisition and clearance are understudied. We aim to quantify this process among children under two years old in eight LMIC using a statistical modeling approach, leveraging enzyme-immunoassay-based Campylobacter genus data and quantitative-PCR-based Campylobacter jejuni/coli data from the MAL-ED study. We developed a Markov model to compare the dynamics of acquisition and clearance of Campylobacter across countries and to explore the effect of antibiotic usage on Campylobacter clearance. Clearance rates were generally higher than acquisition rates, but their magnitude and temporal pattern varied across countries. For C. jejuni/coli, clearance was faster than acquisition throughout the two years at all sites. For Campylobacter spp., the acquisition rate either exceeded or stayed very close to the clearance rate after the first half year in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Tanzania, leading to high prevalence. Bangladesh had the shortest (28 and 57 days) while Brazil had the longest (328 and 306 days) mean times from last clearance to acquisition for Campylobacter spp. and C. jejuni/coli, respectively. South Africa had the shortest (10 and 8 days) while Tanzania had the longest (53 and 41 days) mean times to clearance for Campylobacter spp. and C. jejuni/col, respectively. The use of Macrolide accelerated clearance of C. jejuni/coli in Bangladesh and Peru and of Campylobacter spp. in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Fluoroquinolone showed statistically meaningful effects only in Bangladesh but for both Campylobacter groups. Higher prevalence of Campylobacter infection was mainly driven by a high acquisition rate that was close to or surpassing the clearance rate. Acquisition rate usually peaked in 11-17 months of age, indicating the importance of targeting the first year of life for effective interventions to reduce exposures., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Foodborne infections with antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter spp. remain an important public health concern. Publicly available data collected by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System for Enteric Bacteria related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Campylobacter spp. isolated from broiler chickens and turkeys at the slaughterhouse level across the United States between 2013 and 2021 were analysed. A total of 1,899 chicken-origin (1,031 Campylobacter coli (C. coli) and 868 Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) ) and 798 turkey-origin (673 C. coli and 123 C. jejuni ) isolates were assessed. Chicken isolates exhibited high resistance to tetracycline (43.65%), moderate resistance to ciprofloxacin (19.5%), and low resistance to clindamycin (4.32%) and azithromycin (3.84%). Turkey isolates exhibited very high resistance to tetracycline (69%) and high resistance to ciprofloxacin (39%). The probability of resistance to all tested antimicrobials, except for tetracycline, significantly decreased during the latter part of the study period. Turkey-origin Campylobacter isolates had higher odds of resistance to all antimicrobials than isolates from chickens. Compared to C. jejuni isolates, C. coli isolates had higher odds of resistance to all antimicrobials, except for ciprofloxacin. The study findings emphasize the need for poultry-type-specific strategies to address differences in AMR among Campylobacter isolates.

Campylobacter fetus comprises two closely related mammal-associated subspecies: Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus (Cff) and Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis (Cfv). The latter causes bovine genital campylobacteriosis, a sexually-transmitted disease endemic in Spain that results in significant economic losses in the cattle industry. Here, 33 C. fetus Spanish isolates were whole-genome sequenced and compared with 62 publicly available C. fetus genomes from other countries. Genome-based taxonomic identification revealed high concordance with in silico PCR, confirming Spanish isolates as Cff (n = 4), Cfv (n = 9) and Cfv biovar intermedius (Cfvi, n = 20). MLST analysis assigned the Spanish isolates to 6 STs, including three novel: ST-76 and ST-77 for Cfv and ST-78 for Cff. Core genome SNP phylogenetic analysis of the 95 genomes identified multiple clusters, revealing associations at subspecies and biovar level between genomes with the same ST and separating the Cfvi genomes from Spain and other countries. A genome-wide association study identified pqqL as a Cfv-specific gene and a potential candidate for more accurate identification methods. Functionality analysis revealed variations in the accessory genome of C. fetus subspecies and biovars that deserve further studies. These results provide valuable information about the regional variants of C. fetus present in Spain and the genetic diversity and predicted functionality of the different subspecies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

C.coli is a significant cause of foodborne gastroenteritis worldwide, with the majority of cases attributed to C.jejuni. Although most clinical laboratories do not typically conduct antimicrobial susceptibility testing for C.coli , the rise in resistant strains has underscored the necessity for such testing and epidemiological surveillance. The current study presents clinical isolate characteristics and demographics of 221 patients with C.coli ( coli and jejuni ) infections in Northern Israel, between 2015 and 2021. Clinical and demographic data were collected from patient medical records. Susceptibility to erythromycin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, and gentamicin was assessed using the standard E-test. No significant correlations were found between bacterial species and patient ethnicity, patient gender, or duration of hospitalization. In contrast, significant differences were found between infecting species and patient age and age subgroup ( P  < 0.001). Furthermore, erythromycin resistance was observed in only 0.5% of the study population, while resistance to ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, and gentamicin was observed in 95%, 93%, and 2.3% of the population, respectively. The presented study underscores the need for routine surveillance of C.coli antibiotic resistance.

Campylobacteriosis, primarily caused by Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli, is the main bacterial zoonosis worldwide. While poultry is recognized as the main reservoir, bovines are considered another important reservoir for Campylobacter spp. found in human infections. In contrast to chicken, retail beef is seldom contaminated by Campylobacter species. However, beef liver is recognized to be frequently contaminated and has been linked to human infections via epidemiological investigations. Our aims were to evaluate the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. inside and on the surface of beef liver pieces at retail in Finland and to analyse the population in more detail using whole genome sequencing (WGS) to assess the public health relevance. A total of 90 retail beef livers were studied using both enrichment of the external peptone-saline rinse of the liver piece and direct culture from the inside after surface sterilization. Furthermore, 46 of the livers were also studied using direct culture of retail beef liver juice collected from the bottom of the consumer package to estimate the concentration of Campylobacter species. Overall, 44 (49 %) of the samples were positive for Campylobacter species, C. jejuni, C. fetus and C. lari being identified in 42 %, 8.9 % and 1.1 % of the samples, respectively. Direct culture of retail liver juice was a sensitive and convenient method for Campylobacter spp. detection, resulting in 48 % prevalence and a mean concentration of 49 cfu/ml (maximum 335 cfu/ml). Two samples (2.2 %), containing large hepatic ducts, were positive for C. jejuni internally, representing multilocus sequence typing (MLST) sequence type ST-19 and ST-21. WGS, core genome phylogeny and core genome MLST revealed that in most cases only one clearly distinct clone of clinically relevant C. jejuni or C. fetus was isolated from a single lot of samples. However, in some cases several distinct clones were identified simultaneously even from a single liver piece. In epidemiological investigations, it is thus highly advisable to genotype multiple isolates to capture the whole diversity of Campylobacter spp. from suspected food sources. Good kitchen hygiene, avoidance of cross-contamination and thorough cooking are important for limiting the transmission of campylobacteriosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We studied regional food control inspection grades and their relation to regional incidence of domestically acquired foodborne diseases (caused by Campylobacter spp. Salmonella spp. enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), and Listeria monocytogenes ) using food control inspection data of local food business operators and infectious disease data from 2014 to 2019 from Finland. We observed that inferior overall inspection grades were associated with increased incidence of Salmonella infections ( p =0.02). Specifically, inferior grades on cleanliness of facilities, surfaces, and equipment were associated with increased incidence of Salmonella infections ( p =0.04). For this topical inspection area, a high effect size was also seen for Campylobacter infections ( p =0.06). Of the individual inspection items, an association between increased incidence of Campylobacter infections and inferior grades on storage of foodstuffs ( p =0.01) and verification of hygiene proficiency ( p =0.03) was observed. These results suggest that food control recognizes non-compliances that may predispose to foodborne diseases.

Research Highlights: High Campylobacter prevalence in chickens; C. jejuni more prevalent than C. coli .Susceptibility to macrolides but resistance to quinolones/tetracyclines in isolates.Homogeneous resistance patterns within farms; higher in broilers than in native birds.Partial association between phenotypic and genotypic resistance among isolates.

Disentangling the impact of the weather on transmission of infectious diseases is crucial for health protection, preparedness and prevention. Because weather factors are co-incidental and partly correlated, we have used geography to separate out the impact of individual weather parameters on other seasonal variables using campylobacteriosis as a case study. Campylobacter infections are found worldwide and are the most common bacterial food-borne disease in developed countries, where they exhibit consistent but country specific seasonality. We developed a novel conditional incidence method, based on classical stratification, exploiting the long term, high-resolution, linkage of approximately one-million campylobacteriosis cases over 20 years in England and Wales with local meteorological datasets from diagnostic laboratory locations. The predicted incidence of campylobacteriosis increased by 1 case per million people for every 5° (Celsius) increase in temperature within the range of 8°-15°. Limited association was observed outside that range. There were strong associations with day-length. Cases tended to increase with relative humidity in the region of 75-80%, while the associations with rainfall and wind-speed were weaker. The approach is able to examine multiple factors and model how complex trends arise, e.g. the consistent steep increase in campylobacteriosis in England and Wales in May-June and its spatial variability. This transparent and straightforward approach leads to accurate predictions without relying on regression models and/or postulating specific parameterisations. A key output of the analysis is a thoroughly phenomenological description of the incidence of the disease conditional on specific local weather factors. The study can be crucially important to infer the elusive mechanism of transmission of campylobacteriosis; for instance, by simulating the conditional incidence for a postulated mechanism and compare it with the phenomenological patterns as benchmark. The findings challenge the assumption, commonly made in statistical models, that the transformed mean rate of infection for diseases like campylobacteriosis is a mere additive and combination of the environmental variables., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Lo Iacono et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Importance: This study is important because it shows the potential epidemiological silence associated with the use of culture as the primary diagnostic method for the laboratory identification of human campylobacteriosis. Also, we show how polymerase chain reaction methods are associated with a systematic increase in the number of human campylobacteriosis episodes as reported by routine disease surveillance. These findings are operationally relevant and have public health implications because they tell how crucial it is to consider changes in diagnostic methods, e.g., in the epidemiological analysis of historical data and in the interpretation of future data in light of the past. We also believe that this study highlights how the synergy between microbiology and epidemiology is essential for disease surveillance., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Campylobacter spp. are a common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in Australia, primarily acquired from contaminated meat. We investigated the relationship between genomic virulence characteristics and the severity of campylobacteriosis, hospitalisation, and other host factors.We recruited 571 campylobacteriosis cases from three Australian states and territories (2018-2019). We collected demographic, health status, risk factors, and self-reported disease data. We whole genome sequenced 422 C . jejuni and 84 C . coli case isolates along with 616 retail meat isolates. We classified case illness severity using a modified Vesikari scoring system, performed phylogenomic analysis, and explored risk factors for hospitalisation and illness severity.On average, cases experienced a 7.5 day diarrhoeal illness with additional symptoms including stomach cramps (87.1 %), fever (75.6 %), and nausea (72.0 %). Cases aged ≥75 years had milder symptoms, lower Vesikari scores, and higher odds of hospitalisation compared to younger cases. Chronic gastrointestinal illnesses also increased odds of hospitalisation. We observed significant diversity among isolates, with 65 C . jejuni and 21 C . coli sequence types. Antimicrobial resistance genes were detected in 20.4 % of isolates, but multidrug resistance was rare (0.04 %). Key virulence genes such as cdtABC ( C. jejuni ) and cadF were prevalent (>90 % presence) but did not correlate with disease severity or hospitalisation. However, certain genes (e.g. fliK , Cj1136 , and Cj1138 ) appeared to distinguish human C. jejuni cases from food source isolates.Campylobacteriosis generally presents similarly across cases, though some are more severe. Genotypic virulence factors identified in the literature to-date do not predict disease severity but may differentiate human C. jejuni cases from food source isolates. Host factors like age and comorbidities have a greater influence on health outcomes than virulence factors.

Salmonella Dublin and Campylobacter spp. are two foodborne pathogens of importance. A small number of studies reported that consumption of veal liver was associated with an increased risk of human illness from these two pathogens. To better characterize the risk of exposure from liver, a cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of white veal calf liver contamination with these two pathogens and to characterize the antimicrobial non-susceptibility patterns of isolates. Veal liver samples were collected at two slaughterhouses in Quebec, Canada, in 2016 and 2017. Samples were submitted for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening followed by culture of Salmonella and thermotolerant Campylobacter . Isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using broth microdilution. Salmonella Dublin was the only serotype cultured from 3.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.0-7.9) of 560 liver samples. Among them and for technical reasons, 498 were tested by PCR for Campylobacter . The prevalence of PCR-positive livers was estimated to be 65.8% (95% CI: 58.7-72.9) for Campylobacter jejuni and 7.0% (95% CI: 3.9-10.1%) for Campylobacter coli . Fourteen Salmonella Dublin isolates were submitted for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) testing; all were non-susceptible to at least eight antimicrobials from six different classes. Most (81.4%) of the 188 C. jejuni isolates submitted for AMR testing were non-susceptible to tetracycline, and 23.0% of isolates were non-susceptible to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin. Of the seven C. coli isolates, four were multidrug resistant. This study highlights the importance of veal liver as a potential source of exposure to multidrug-resistant Salmonella Dublin and thermotolerant Campylobacter spp.

Background: Campylobacter bacteraemia is a rare complication of the most common bacterial gastrointestinal infection but is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. There is limited data describing current trends in surveillance and antimicrobial resistance for the Campylobacter strains involved. At the Epsom and St Helier's University Hospital (ESTH), we noted a marked increase in Campylobacter bacteraemia infections in 2021., Methods: We extracted Campylobacter reports using the UK Health Security Agency's (UKHSA) Second Generation Surveillance System (laboratory reporting system) between 1st January 2012 and 31st December 2021. We reviewed patient records of patients with Campylobacter bacteraemia for details including presentation, past medical history, duration of hospital stay, and antibiotic use., Results: Between 2012 and 2021, ESTH reported a total of 34 cases of Campylobacter bacteraemia. In 2021, the estimated incidence was 6.8 cases per 100,000 population and in the surrounding area, the incidence was 0.4 per 100,000 population. The incidence rate of Campylobacter bacteraemia in London and the South East region was significantly lower than ESTH (RR = 0.17, p < 0.0001). Campylobacter bacteraemia cases at ESTH reported a high number of co-morbidities (average number of comorbidities = 2.3) and had a duration of stay in hospital of a median of 7 days (IQR = 4-10 days). Campylobacter jejuni was the most commonly reported species for stool and blood Campylobacter in ESTH, London, and South East England., Conclusion: Campylobacter bacteraemia reports at ESTH were significantly (p < 0.001) higher than the surrounding London and South East region. While no common cause for the exceedance of Campylobacter bacteraemia has been identified, common risk factors for Campylobacter bacteraemia infection include underlying health conditions, being older, and male., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The poultry industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Poultry breeding has developed significantly to meet the food needs of the increasing population and it is expected that this growth will continue in the coming years. Prevalent poultry diseases are of great importance as they are responsible for vast economic losses and public health concerns. They also affect the national and international trade of the poultry products. This review will provide a quick and general view of different important poultry diseases for poultry breeders, scientists and decision makers. Based on this review, Campylobacteriosis and infectious bursal disease (IBD) in the Asian continent, and Campylobacteriosis, Newcastle disease (ND) and coccidiosis in the African continent were the most prevalent diseases. In Europe, Campylobacter species and in America, Escherichia coli species are widespread in poultry meat. Infectious Bronchitis (IB) in Europe and Coccidiosis in America were high-incident., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Importance: Campylobacter is a major cause of campylobacteriosis worldwide, and poultry is the main reservoir for its transmission. Campylobacter was generally considered to be a harmless commensal organism in poultry without pathogenic properties. However, it was proposed that a Campylobacter -like organism may be the cause of vibrionic hepatitis, which poses a significant public health risk. The occurrence and epidemiology of Campylobacter in healthy poultry have been studied systematically, but little is known about the epidemiology of Campylobacter isolates from diseased poultry in China. Therefore, this study determined the prevalence and molecular characterization of Campylobacter from diseased chickens, ducks, and geese in Yangzhou Veterinary Hospital between December 2016 and September 2017, which was critical for improving the diagnosis and prevention of Campylobacter infections., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Campylobacteriosis is a human infection primarily caused by Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. Consumption of contaminated chicken and poultry products is the main mode of transmission. These bacteria possess virulence factors, including adhesins and toxins, which contribute to their pathogenesis. Moreover, their large genomes undergo frequent genetic recombination, resulting in a high degree of genetic diversity. However, limited information is available regarding the virulence and genotypic diversity profiles of these microorganisms in the Philippines. The objective of this study was to address this knowledge gap by characterizing Campylobacter isolates obtained from chicken offal sold in wet markets in Metro Manila, Philippines. Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) analysis was performed to determine the sequence types, resulting in the identification of 13 unique sequence types, including nine previously unreported ones, and three clonal complexes. Notably, the widespread sequence type ST-305 was found in samples from different markets. Furthermore, six isolates deposited in the Campylobacter PubMLST database were identified as C. coli based on allele profiles. Profiling using 10 selected virulence genes revealed that more than half of the isolates carried these genes. The most prevalent virulence gene was cadF (100%), followed by flaA (95%), racR, cdtA, cdtB, and cdtC (85%). The genes dnaJ and ceuE were also present in 75% of the isolates. Despite the limited sample size, the findings of this study reveal a significant level of genotypic diversity among the Campylobacter isolates. This diversity has important implications for source attribution studies and the identification of strains involved in campylobacteriosis outbreaks. Furthermore, the investigation of virulence factors associated with colonization and invasion of the avian gut can provide insights for the development of practical applications in Campylobacter control strategies. Understanding and addressing these factors are crucial steps toward mitigating the risk of Campylobacter infections and enhancing public health efforts.

Poultry is the primary source of Campylobacter infections and severe campylobacteriosis cases are treated with macrolides and fluoroquinolones. However, these drugs are less effective against antimicrobial-resistant strains. Here, we investigated the prevalence of phenotypic antimicrobial resistance and associated resistance genetic determinants in Campylobacter isolates collected from human clinical (N = 123) and meat (N = 80) sources in Pennsylvania in 2017 and 2018. Our goal was to assess potential differences in the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter isolated from human and poultry meat sources in Pennsylvania and to assess the accuracy of predicting antimicrobial resistance phenotypes based on resistance genotypes. We whole genome sequenced isolates and identified genetic resistance determinants using the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System Campylobacter AMR workflow v2.0 in GalaxyTrakr. Phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out using the E-Test and Sensititre CAMPYCMV methods for human clinical and poultry meat isolates, respectively, and the results were interpreted using the EUCAST epidemiological cutoff values. The 193 isolates were represented by 85 MLST sequence types and 23 clonal complexes, suggesting high genetic diversity. Resistance to erythromycin was confirmed in 6% human and 4% meat isolates. Prevalence of ciprofloxacin resistance was significantly higher in human isolates as compared to meat isolates. A good concordance was observed between phenotypic resistance and the presence of the corresponding known resistance genetic determinants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Campylobacteriosis is a common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the potential risk factors, clinical and laboratory manifestations of children with campylobacteriosis under five years old in Taiwan., Methods: This retrospective case-control study was conducted in ten major hospitals in Taiwan from 2014 to 2017. Laboratory tests and stool specimen were collected and analyzed together with questionnaire survey. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression model was used for identification of risk factors., Results: A total of 64 campylobacteriosis cases were included with a median age of 25 months. We observed a less prolonged vomiting (p = 0.047), more bloody (p < 0.001) and mucoid (p = 0.005) stools, and lower AST levels (p = 0.020) in patients with campylobacteriosis. Lower parental educational attainment (p < 0.001), direct contact with acute gastroenteritis patients (p < 0.001), as well as diarrhea in the mutually cared children (p = 0.007) were linked to campylobacteriosis. Consumption of municipal water (p < 0.001), milk (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.118-0.979), and soft beverages (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.192-0.888) were identified as protective factors, while consuming takeout food (p = 0.032) and seafood (p = 0.019) increased risk of campylobacteriosis., Conclusions: Shorter vomiting duration, bloody and mucoid stool, and less elevated AST levels are manifestations suggestive of campylobacteriosis. Risk factors of campylobacteriosis were low parental educational attainment, direct contact with acute gastroenteritis patients, diarrhea in mutually cared children, takeout food and seafood intake. Potential protective factors include municipal water, milk, and soft beverage intake., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (© 2023 Chang Gung University. Publishing services provided by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

Cattle farming is a major livestock activity with economic relevance in Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. However, this activity is still considered of intermediate to low technological level, and in this region, there are few epidemiologic reports of Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis (Cfv), the causative agent of bovine genital campylobacteriosis (BGC). Thus, we designed a cross-sectional study to assess the prevalence and Cfv-associated factors in cattle farms in RS, Brazil. In total, 99 farms were randomly selected to participate in the survey. Preputial mucus samples from selected bulls were collected twice (within a 15-day interval) and subjected to Cfv molecular detection. A farm was considered positive when at least one sample was positive for Cfv. Our findings indicate that the farm-level Cfv prevalence in RS is 67.67%. On average, the chance of a farm using natural service to be Cfv-positive increased approximately twice compared to farms that do not use natural service. We also determined that Cfv routine tests reduce the chance of a farm being positive by 92%. Therefore, both Cfv detection tests and the reduction of natural services decrease the chance of a farm being positive for Cfv. Finally, we conclude that Cfv is widely spread in Southern Brazil cattle farms and it is urgent the implementation of control measures to reduce Cfv prevalence in the target population., (© 2023. The Author(s).)