Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of some virulence genes of Campylobacter species isolated from fresh meat

Campylobacter is one of the most important causative agent of zoonotic disease, Campylobacteriosis, that transmitted by consumption or handling of raw or under-cooked foods of animal origin resulting in gastroenteritis and diarrhea in human. This search aimed to study phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Campylobacter species isolated from fresh meat. To achieve that seventy random samples (n= 70) of fresh meat were collected from different localities at AlGharbia governorate, Egypt during the period from Aug (2022) to Jan (2023). Campylobacter species were isolated on Preston Enrichment broth and Modified Charcoal Cefoperazone Deoxycholate Agar followed by identification using biochemical tests. The antimicrobial susceptibility was done, using disk diffusion method, against 10 antibiotics; Amoxycillin, Ampicillin, Clindamycin, Doxycycline, Gentamicin, Cefotaxim, Norfloxacin, Sulfamethaxazole, Chloramphenicol and Ofloxacin. Existence of CiaB, cdtB and cadF Virulence genes was screened in 4 selected Campylobacter isolates using PCR. The results showed that Campylobacter species were isolated from 38/70 samples (54.29%). They were identified as C. jejuni 30/38 (78.95%) and C. coli 8/38 (21.05%). The in-vitro sensitivity tests for all isolates revealed that, they were highly resistant for amoxicillin (99%), followed by ampicillin (87%) and clindamycin (85.07%). Meanwhile, they were intermediate against doxycycline and gentamicin. The highest susceptibility was to cefotaxime (93.8%), norfloxacin (91%), sulfamethaxazole (90%) and ofloxacin (89.7%). The Virulence genes cdtB and cadF were detected in the four selected Campylobacter isolates, while CiaB was detected in one Campylobacter species; C. jejuni