Prevalence and strain diversity of thermophilic campylobacters in cattle, sheep and swine farms.
OBJECTIVE
To determine prevalence and strain diversity of thermophilic campylobacters in healthy ruminants and swine.


RESULTS
Faecal samples collected from 343 herds (120 sheep, 124 beef cattle, 82 dairy cattle and 17 swine) in the Basque Country were screened in pools for thermophilic campylobacters. Two hundred and three herds were positive (67.1% dairy cattle, 58.9% beef cattle, 55.0% sheep and 52.9% pig), and species-specific PCR identified Campylobacter jejuni in 20.7% of the herds and Campylobacter coli in 6.4%. Campylobacter coli was isolated from the four production systems and was the most prevalent species in swine, where C. jejuni was not found. Other thermophilic campylobacters were found in all production systems. Four hundred and ninety-three animals from 11 positive herds were individually analysed, detecting significantly higher within-herd prevalences in dairy cattle (66.7%) and swine (57.8%) than in sheep (8.8%) or beef cattle (5.4%). flaA PCR-RFLP and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis of a selection of isolates showed high genetic diversity.


CONCLUSIONS
Healthy swine, cattle and sheep are important reservoirs of thermophilic campylobacters of different species and high genetic diversity.


CONCLUSIONS
Efficient farm-based intervention measures are needed to reduce risk of infection. Non-C. jejuni/C. coli species should be monitored to investigate their significance for infection.
Oporto
B
B
Department of Animal Health, NEIKER - Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain.
Esteban
J I
JI
Aduriz
G
G
Juste
R A
RA
Hurtado
A
A
D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D017000:Campylobacter coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D034561:Sheep, Domestic; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000382:microbiology