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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Produce Safety and Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #379759
Research Project: Molecular Identification and Characterization of Bacterial and Viral Pathogens Associated with Foods

Location: Produce Safety and Microbiology Research

Title: Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli from houseflies in commercial turkey farms are frequently resistant to multiple antimicrobials and exhibit pronounced genotypic diversity

Author
item BOLINGER, HANNAH - North Carolina State University
item Miller, William - Bill
item OSBORNE, JASON - North Carolina State University
item NIEDERMEYER, JEFF - North Carolina State University
item KATHARIOU, SOPHIA - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: Pathogens
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/18/2023
Publication Date: 2/1/2023
Citation: Bolinger, H., Miller, W.G., Osborne, J., Niedermeyer, J., Kathariou, S. 2023. Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli from houseflies in commercial turkey farms are frequently resistant to multiple antimicrobials and exhibit pronounced genotypic diversity. Pathogens. 12(2). Article 230. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020230.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020230

Interpretive Summary: Campylobacter is a leading bacterial pathogen for human foodborne illness in the United States and other industrialized nations. Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are the primary Campylobacter species that cause human illness and transmission is often due to contaminated poultry products. Contamination largely takes place pre-harvest, and most investigations of Campylobacter in poultry have focused on chickens, while much less is known about transmission of this pathogen in commercially-produced turkeys. Especially little is understood about Campylobacter movement through turkey flocks via insect vectors. This study monitored flies as a potential means of Campylobacter movement through turkey flocks. Flies captured on turkey farms were found to frequently harbor C. jejuni as well as C. coli which were resistant to multiple antibiotics and largely reflected the strains excreted by the turkeys. The findings will contribute to our understanding of dissemination of Campylobacter in the commercial turkey industry and suggests that flies can contribute importantly to the movement of multi-drug resistance traits in turkey production facilities.

Technical Abstract: Campylobacter is a leading cause of human foodborne illness in the United States, with poultry being a major vehicle. While much research has been conducted with broilers, relatively little is known about colonization of turkey flocks with Campylobacter. There is a notable dearth of knowledge about Campylobacter from insect vectors in commercial turkey farms. The objectives of this study were to investigate flies (Musca domestica) as a potential vector and reservoir of multidrug-resistant Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli in turkey farms. We characterized antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and genotypes of C. jejuni and C. coli both from turkey feces and from flies in the same turkey house of 25 different flocks, representing 22 turkey farms in eastern N. Carolina.