Prevalence and Virulence Genes Profile of Zoonotic Campylobacter species in Chickens and Human in Aswan Governorate

Abstract

Campylobacteriosis is considered as one of the most common zoonotic gastrointestinal diseases in the world. Because of the substantial contamination of poultry carcasses and organs with stomach contents during mechanical evisceration, birds and their products are the most common sources of Campylobacter . This study evaluated the mutual function of chickens in the transmission of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli to hospitalized patients in Aswan Governorate, Egypt. Samples were collected randomly from fresh chickens (no= 108) and frozen chickens (no= 100) from different supermarkets in Aswan Province, Egypt as well as 60 diarrheal samples were assembled from hospitalized patients. Biochemical and molecular techniques were employed through duplex polymerase chain reaction objecting the 23S rRNA , mapA and ceuE genes specific to genus Campylobacter , C. jejuni and C. Coli, respectively, after that virulence genes ( flaA and cadF genes) were detected. By using conventional and duplex PCR methods, the overall incidence of Campylobacter was 29% and 25.4 %, respectively. C. jejuni and C. coli by conventional and PCR approaches were identified as 18.1, 5.1%, and 12.3, 7.2%, respectively, while 5.8% mixed infection was discovered by both techniques. Campylobacter species could be isolated from 66.7, 25, 17.5 and 18.3% of fresh chickens, frozen chickens, frozen liver and gizzard, and human, respectively with statistically significant difference. Epidemiologically, the insignificant age risk factor was statistically reported in this study among patients although Campylobacter was dominant in the 21-35 and 36-50 age groups. Campylobacter incidence was higher among females (33.3%) than in males (11.9%). On the other hand, flaA virulence gene was detected in 10.3% of both C. jejuni and C. coli isolated from chickens but could not be detected in human isolates. Whereas cadF virulence gene could be isolated in 20.5, 23.1, 36.4, and 9.1% of C. jejuni and C. coli of chickens′ and human isolates, respectively. In conclusion, the high incidence of Campylobacter in fresh chickens is considered the main risk factor for domestically acquired campylobacteriosis in Aswan Governorate, Egypt, confirming the urgent need for food safety strategies and emphasizing the importance of refrigeration and freezing in controlling bacterial growth in foods.