Genetic characterization and antibiotic resisatnce of Campylobacter spp. from retail poultry meat in Slovenia - Comparasion wtth human clinical isolates

Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli are the leading cause of human bacterial enteritis in developed countries. The incidence of human campylobacteriosis is still increasing, but the sources and routes of transmission remain unclear, due to its mainly sporadic appearance. Consuming and/or handling contaminated poultry meat is the most consistent risk factor, linked to the high prevalence of campylobacters in retail poultry meat. Our previous study indicated a high degree of poultry meat contamination also on Slovenian market. Additional problem to the increasing incidence of zoonotic food-borne pathogens is the emergence and spread of their antimicrobial resistance. A case study could be the emerging resistance of campylobacters against fluoroquinolones, after their introduction in veterinary medicine in the 1990s. It was reported also for clinical isolates of Campylobacter in Slovenia. In our country, the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of campylobacters in foods is not monitored at the national level yet. However, during four-year research project we introduced standardised and molecular methods for detection, identification, typing and antibiotic resistance testing of thermotolerant campylobacters from poultry meat. During 2001-2003 over 150 strains of then motolerant campylobacters have been isolated and identified as C. jejuni or C. coli by classical tests and multiplex PCR. Their genetic diversity was studied by fla-RFLP and PFGE typing. Epidemiologically interesting features such as high percentage of C. coli and hippurate negative C. jejuni in chicken meat samples as well as completely identical genotypes of food and clinical isolates were found. Antimicrobial resistance was found as a critical point among meat and clinical isolates. In this study, antibiotic resistance against eight selected antibiotics of 181 retail poultry meat and human clinical isolates isolated in the years 2001-2003 are compared.