Prevalence, antimicrobial resistance and risk factors for thermophilic Campylobacter infections in symptomatic and asymptomatic humans in Tanzania

TY - JOUR

T1 - Prevalence, antimicrobial resistance and risk factors for thermophilic Campylobacter infections in symptomatic and asymptomatic humans in Tanzania

AU - Komba, E. V. G.

AU - Mdegela, R. H.

AU - Msoffe, P. L. M.

AU - Nielsen, Lene Nørby

AU - Ingmer, Hanne

N1 - © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

PY - 2015/11

Y1 - 2015/11

N2 - The genus Campylobacter comprises members known to be a leading cause of foodborne gastrointestinal illness worldwide. A study was conducted to determine the epidemiology antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter in humans in Morogoro, Eastern Tanzania. Isolation of Campylobacter from stool specimens adopted the Cape Town protocol. Campylobacter isolates were preliminarily identified by conventional phenotypic tests subsequently confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry polymerase chain reaction. Antimicrobial resistance testing employed the disc diffusion method. A small proportion of the test isolates was also subjected to agar dilution method. Risk factors for human illness were determined in an unmatched case-control study. Thermophilic Campylobacter were isolated from 11.4% of the screened individuals (n = 1195). The agreement between PCR MALDI-TOF was perfect (κ = 1.0). Symptomatics young individuals were infected with higher numbers than asymptomatic adults, respectively. The majority (84.6%) of the isolates were C. jejuni the remaining were C. coli. Isolates had highest resistance (95.6%) for colistin sulphate lowest for ciprofloxacin (22.1%). The rates of resistance for other antibiotics (azithromycin, erythromycin, tetracycline, cephalothin, gentamycin, nalidixic acid, ampicillin, amoxycillin, norfloxacin, chloramphenicol) ranged from 44.1% to 89%. Comparison between disc diffusion agar dilution methods indicated a good correlation, the tests were in agreement to each other (κ ≥ 0.75). Human illness was found to be associated with young age consumption of chicken meat pre-prepared salad. Our data indicate the presence of antibiotic-resistant thermophilic Campylobacter in humans in the study area. There is a need for routine investigation of the presence of the organisms in gastroenteritis aetiology, including determination of their antibiotic susceptibilities.

AB - The genus Campylobacter comprises members known to be a leading cause of foodborne gastrointestinal illness worldwide. A study was conducted to determine the epidemiology antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter in humans in Morogoro, Eastern Tanzania. Isolation of Campylobacter from stool specimens adopted the Cape Town protocol. Campylobacter isolates were preliminarily identified by conventional phenotypic tests subsequently confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry polymerase chain reaction. Antimicrobial resistance testing employed the disc diffusion method. A small proportion of the test isolates was also subjected to agar dilution method. Risk factors for human illness were determined in an unmatched case-control study. Thermophilic Campylobacter were isolated from 11.4% of the screened individuals (n = 1195). The agreement between PCR MALDI-TOF was perfect (κ = 1.0). Symptomatics young individuals were infected with higher numbers than asymptomatic adults, respectively. The majority (84.6%) of the isolates were C. jejuni the remaining were C. coli. Isolates had highest resistance (95.6%) for colistin sulphate lowest for ciprofloxacin (22.1%). The rates of resistance for other antibiotics (azithromycin, erythromycin, tetracycline, cephalothin, gentamycin, nalidixic acid, ampicillin, amoxycillin, norfloxacin, chloramphenicol) ranged from 44.1% to 89%. Comparison between disc diffusion agar dilution methods indicated a good correlation, the tests were in agreement to each other (κ ≥ 0.75). Human illness was found to be associated with young age consumption of chicken meat pre-prepared salad. Our data indicate the presence of antibiotic-resistant thermophilic Campylobacter in humans in the study area. There is a need for routine investigation of the presence of the organisms in gastroenteritis aetiology, including determination of their antibiotic susceptibilities.

U2 - 10.1111/zph.12185

DO - 10.1111/zph.12185

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25753615

SN - 1863-1959

VL - 62

SP - 557

EP - 568

JO - Zoonoses and Public Health

JF - Zoonoses and Public Health

IS - 7

ER -