Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Properties of <i>Campylobacter</i> Spp. Originating from Domestic Geese in Poland

• Main Authors: Beata Wysok, Joanna Wojtacka, Agnieszka Wiszniewska-Łaszczych, Joanna Szteyn
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-04-01
• Series: Animals
• Subjects: <i>Campylobacter</i>; geese; virulence genes; antimicrobial resistance
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/4/742

A total of 240 samples were evaluated for the presence of <i>Campylobacter</i> spp. <i>Campylobacter</i> was found in 83.3% of the cecum contents samples and 52.5% of the neck skin samples from carcasses. The prevailing species was <i>C. jejuni</i>, accounting for 87.7% of all <i>Campylobacter</i> isolates, and the remaining 12.3% of isolates were <i>C. coli.</i> All <i>Campylobacter</i> isolates, independent of the sample origin and species, were positive for 6 out of 15 tested genes (<i>flaA</i>, <i>flhA</i>, <i>cadF</i>, <i>racR</i>, <i>ciaB</i>, and <i>cdtA</i> genes). The prevalence of <i>dnaJ</i>, <i>docA</i>, <i>pldA</i>, <i>cdtB</i>, <i>cdtC</i>, and <i>iam</i> genes was also very common (ranging from 86.5% to 98.8%). The lowest prevalence was noted for <i>virB11</i> and <i>wlaN</i> genes, both in <i>Campylobacter</i> isolates from cecum (12% and 19%) and carcasses (11.1% and 17.5%). None of the isolates tested, regardless of the sample origin, carried the <i>cgtB</i> gene. The highest resistance rates were observed for quinolones (90.8%) and tetracyclines (79.8%). Simultaneously, only single <i>Campylobacter</i> isolate was resistant to macrolides (0.6%) and none of the isolates showed resistance to aminoglycosides and amphenicols. The common presence of <i>Campylobacter</i> on geese carcasses as well as the detection of multidrug-resistant isolates indicate that consuming goose meat might cause a potential risk, therefore leading to human campylobacteriosis.