Antibiotics | Notable Study on Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Genes in Turkey-Derived Campylobacter

This study systematically reveals turkeys as a critical yet neglected host for Campylobacter, demonstrating the coexistence of high antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes poses potential risks to public health and food safety, while providing new insights for antimicrobial management and One Health monitoring.

 

Literature Overview
This article, 'Genotypic and Phenotypic Characterization of Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence in Campylobacter spp. Isolated from Turkeys: Uncovering a Neglected Reservoir in the One Health Context', published in the journal Antibiotics, reviews and summarizes the isolation frequency, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence characteristics of turkey-derived Campylobacter. It emphasizes turkeys as significant hosts for Campylobacter transmission, highlighting the potential threat of high-frequency resistance and virulence genes to food safety and public health, necessitating their inclusion in intersectoral surveillance systems.

Background Knowledge
As one of the leading global foodborne pathogens causing human gastroenteritis, Campylobacter is widely present in poultry. While chicken-derived Campylobacter has been extensively studied, turkeys as potential hosts have long been overlooked. Virulence genes (e.g., flaA, cadF, cdtAB, ciaB) in Campylobacter are closely associated with pathogenicity, whereas antimicrobial resistance genes (e.g., tetO, gyrA mutations, ermB, cmeB) correlate with treatment failures. This study collected cecal samples from Romanian turkey slaughterhouses, combining phenotypic and genotypic analyses to reveal high colonization rates and multidrug resistance in turkeys, offering novel epidemiological evidence for antimicrobial stewardship and foodborne disease prevention.

 

 

Research Methods and Experiments
The research team collected 182 cecal samples from turkey slaughterhouses in Romania, isolating and identifying Campylobacter according to the ISO 10272-1:2017 standard. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was performed using the broth microdilution method, with resistance assessed against established MIC breakpoints. PCR amplification was employed to detect antimicrobial resistance genes (gyrA, tetO, ermB, cmeB, etc.) and virulence genes (flaA, cadF, cdtAB, ciaB, etc.). Proportional stratified sampling was applied to analyze 96 representative isolates. Statistical analysis was conducted using GraphPad Prism 10.0.2, incorporating Chi-square tests, Phi coefficients, and Benjamini–Hochberg multiple test corrections.

Key Conclusions and Perspectives

• The overall isolation rate of Campylobacter spp. from turkey cecal samples was 75.8% (138/182), with C. jejuni accounting for 54.3% (75/138) and C. coli for 45.7% (63/138).
• High resistance was observed to ciprofloxacin (93.3% in C. jejuni, 85.7% in C. coli) and tetracycline (77.3% in C. jejuni, 85.7% in C. coli), with significant associations between resistance genes and phenotypic resistance.
• Molecular detection revealed widespread occurrence of resistance genes such as gyrA (Thr-86-Ile mutation), tetO, ermB, Ery23S, and cmeB, showing strong genotype-phenotype correlations. Genes catI and aphA-3 were undetected, consistent with phenotypic findings.
• Virulence genes flaA (100%), cadF (89.6%), cdtA (90.6%), cdtB (91.7%), and ciaB (89.6%) were prevalent in turkey-derived Campylobacter, while virB11 showed lower frequency (56.3%).
• A weak but significant coselection between ciprofloxacin and tetracycline resistance was identified (r = 0.21, p < 0.05), suggesting potential shared selective pressures.

Research Significance and Prospects
This study provides the first systematic characterization of turkeys as critical Campylobacter reservoirs, with high resistance and virulence gene frequencies underscoring their impact on public and food safety. Future work should strengthen molecular surveillance across turkey production chains, employ whole-genome sequencing to dissect resistance mechanisms and transmission routes, and advance intersectoral One Health strategies to optimize antimicrobial use and mitigate zoonotic transmission risks.

 

 

Conclusion
The high isolation rate and multidrug resistance of Campylobacter spp. from turkeys highlight their potential as public health hazards. Phenotype-genotype correlations confirm widespread distribution of resistance genes (gyrA, tetO, ermB, cmeB) and virulence genes (flaA, cadF, cdtAB, ciaB), offering molecular evidence for antimicrobial stewardship and foodborne disease control. The study advocates enhanced monitoring in turkey production systems and implementation of One Health resistance management strategies to reduce zoonotic transmission risks.

 

Sebastian Alexandru Popa, Viorel Herman, Khalid Ibrahim Sallam, Alexandra Pocinoc, and Kálmán Imre. Genotypic and Phenotypic Characterization of Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence in Campylobacter spp. Isolated from Turkeys: Uncovering a Neglected Reservoir in the One Health Context. Antibiotics.