title: Genetic diversity among Campylobacter jejuni isolates from pets in Ireland.
abstract: Campylobacter jejuni isolates obtained from pets housed in shelters and in private households were subtyped by fla typing (using DdeI and HinfI restriction enzymes) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) techniques. Composite fla cluster analysis on 78 C jejuni isolates was more discriminative than either single fla typing technique with 39.7 per cent single isolate patterns. PFGE on 52 C jejuni isolates revealed 53.8 per cent single isolate patterns and was the most discriminative method applied. A database of C jejuni subtyping profiles from pets in Ireland was assembled. The presence of genetic heterogeneity detected in the C jejuni subtypes suggests that pets can acquire the organisms from multiple potential sources. In addition, heterogeneity was detected in the C jejuni subtypes obtained by different culture methods within the same pet. There was a link between isolates from dogs in close contact in the same environment, confirming that this is a potential route of infection, and clusters were detected containing both cat and dog C jejuni isolates, suggesting possible interspecies transmission.
authors.affiliation: School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. e.acke@massey.ac.nz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Acke
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McGill
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lawlor
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fanning
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Whyte
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D002415:Cats; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D006224:Cricetinae; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D004285:Dogs; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007494:Ireland