Detection of multidrug-resistant Campylobacter species from food-producing animals and humans in Nigeria: Public health implications and one health control measures

Emmanuel O Njoga; John A Nwanta; Kennedy F Chah

doi:10.1016/j.cimid.2023.102083

Detection of multidrug-resistant Campylobacter species from food-producing animals and humans in Nigeria: Public health implications and one health control measures

Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis. 2023 Dec:103:102083. doi: 10.1016/j.cimid.2023.102083. Epub 2023 Oct 31.

Authors

Emmanuel O Njoga¹, John A Nwanta², Kennedy F Chah³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria; Animal Health Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Sentinel Laboratory, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria. Electronic address: njoga.emmanuel@unn.edu.ng.
² Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria.
³ Animal Health Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Sentinel Laboratory, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria; Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria.

PMID: 37925789
DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2023.102083

Abstract

Antimicrobial-resistant thermophilic Campylobacter species (TCS) pose tremendous public health problems because they are zoonotic, difficult to treat and usually harboured by food-producing animals (FPAs). This study ascertained the phenotypic antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in 56 phenotypically identified TCS from slaughtered cattle, poultry, and humans in Enugu State, Nigeria. The presence of selected AMR and virulence genes harboured by the animal and human isolates were also detected and compared in 36 PCR-confirmed Campylobacter species. All the 56 TCS were multidrug-resistant as none were susceptible to ampicillin, penicillin-G, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cephalothin and metronidazole. The isolates were 92.9 %, 62.5 %, 92.9 %, 42.9 %, 26.8 %, 25 %, 28.6 %, 53.7 %, 30.1 %, 32.1 % and 55.4 % resistant to ceftriaxone, nalidixic acid, cefotaxime, enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, streptomycin, gentamycin, erythromycin, azithromycin, chloramphenicol and tetracycline, respectively. The top four most effective classes of antimicrobials were aminoglycosides > macrolides > amphenicol > fluoroquinolones. The AMR genes detected and the percentage of the isolates that harboured them were: aadE-1 (33.3 %), aphA-3-1 (36.1 %), tetO (44.4%), Bla_oxa-61 (61.1 %) and the multidrug efflux pump, cmeB (86.1%). Virulence genes detected and the corresponding percentage of TCS that harboured them were: cdtB (61.1 %), flaA (47.2 %), ciaB (38.9 %), and pldA (38.9 %). The cmeB was significantly detected in animal isolates (p = 0.018, OR = 5.1, CI = 0.7-6.6) while Bla_OXA-61 predominated in human isolates (p = 0.019, OR = 6.2). Likewise, ciaB virulence gene was mostly detected (p = 0.019, OR = 6.4, CI = 1.3-25) in animal isolates. The findings underscore the roles of FPAs in the zoonotic dissemination of Campylobacter-associated AMR and virulence genes in the study area. This warrants the adoption of One Health control strategies to limit spread of the multidrug-resistant zoonotic Campylobacter species.

Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance genes; Campylobacter species; Food-producing animals; Humans; Multidrug resistance; Nigeria; Virulence genes.

MeSH terms

Animals
Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
Campylobacter Infections* / epidemiology
Campylobacter Infections* / veterinary
Campylobacter* / genetics
Cattle
Drug Resistance, Bacterial
Humans
Microbial Sensitivity Tests / veterinary
Nigeria / epidemiology
One Health*
Poultry
Public Health

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents