title: Characterization of antimicrobial resistance patterns and detection of virulence genes in Campylobacter isolates in Italy.
abstract: Campylobacter has developed resistance to several antimicrobial agents over the years, including macrolides, quinolones and fluoroquinolones, becoming a significant public health hazard. A total of 145 strains derived from raw milk, chicken faeces, chicken carcasses, cattle faeces and human faeces collected from various Italian regions, were screened for antimicrobial susceptibility, molecular characterization (SmaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis) and detection of virulence genes (sequencing and DNA microarray analysis). The prevalence of C. jejuni and C. coli was 62.75% and 37.24% respectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility revealed a high level of resistance for ciprofloxacin (62.76%), tetracycline (55.86%) and nalidixic acid (55.17%). Genotyping of Campylobacter isolates using PFGE revealed a total of 86 unique SmaI patterns. Virulence gene profiles were determined using a new microbial diagnostic microarray composed of 70-mer oligonucleotide probes targeting genes implicated in Campylobacter pathogenicity. Correspondence between PFGE and microarray clusters was observed. Comparisons of PFGE and virulence profiles reflected the high genetic diversity of the strains examined, leading us to speculate different degrees of pathogenicity inside Campylobacter populations.
authors.affiliation: LNR Campylobacter, IZSAM G.Caporale, via Campo Boario 64100 Teramo, Italy. e.digiannatale@izs.it.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Giannatale
authors.affiliation: LNR Campylobacter, IZSAM G.Caporale, via Campo Boario 64100 Teramo, Italy. g.diserafino@izs.it.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Serafino
authors.affiliation: LNR Campylobacter, IZSAM G.Caporale, via Campo Boario 64100 Teramo, Italy. k.zilli@izs.it.
authors.forename: Katiuscia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zilli
authors.affiliation: LNR Campylobacter, IZSAM G.Caporale, via Campo Boario 64100 Teramo, Italy. a.alessiani@izs.it.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alessiani
authors.affiliation: LNR Campylobacter, IZSAM G.Caporale, via Campo Boario 64100 Teramo, Italy. lo.sacchini@izs.it.
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sacchini
authors.affiliation: LNR Campylobacter, IZSAM G.Caporale, via Campo Boario 64100 Teramo, Italy. g.garofolo@izs.it.
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garofolo
authors.affiliation: LNR Campylobacter, IZSAM G.Caporale, via Campo Boario 64100 Teramo, Italy. g.aprea@izs.it.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aprea
authors.affiliation: LNR Campylobacter, IZSAM G.Caporale, via Campo Boario 64100 Teramo, Italy. f.marotta@izs.it.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marotta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002417:Cattle; D002645:Chickens; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial