Antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolates from broiler chickens isolated at an Irish poultry processing plant.
OBJECTIVE
The antibiotic susceptibility of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolates from broiler chickens were determined in order to evaluate the level of antibiotic resistance of Campylobacter species in the Irish poultry industry.


RESULTS
Seventy-eight Camp. jejuni and 22 Camp. coli strains were examined for susceptibility to eight antibiotics using the disc diffusion assay. The highest level of resistance of the Camp. jejuni isolates was recorded to ampicillin (35.9%), followed by 20.5% to tetracycline, 20.5% to naladixic acid, 17.9% to ciprofloxacin, 10.2% to erythromycin, 2.5% to streptomycin and 1.2% to kanamycin. Multidrug resistance to two or more antibiotics was seen for 30.7% of Camp. jejuni strains. Resistance of the Camp. coli isolates was shown to ampicillin (9%) and tetracycline (18.2%).


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of Camp. jejuni strains were susceptible to antibiotics commonly used for human therapy. Camp. coli strains showed very low resistance levels and were susceptible to six of the eight antimicrobial agents studied.


CONCLUSIONS
Levels of Camp. jejuni and Camp. coli antimicrobial resistance in Irish poultry production was assessed to determine the current situation in Ireland. The prevalence of antibiotic resistance of Campylobacter strains isolated from broiler chickens was low.
Fallon
R
R
Department of Microbiology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
O'Sullivan
N
N
Maher
M
M
Carroll
C
C
D000818:Animals; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000187:drug effects*; D017000:Campylobacter coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005525:Food-Processing Industry; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D011202:Poultry Products / Q000382:microbiology*