title: Human, food and animal Campylobacter spp. isolated in Portugal: high genetic diversity and antibiotic resistance rates.
abstract: Infections by Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are considered the major cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in humans, with food being the main source of infection. In this study, a total of 196 Campylobacter strains (125 isolates from humans, 39 from retail food and 32 from food animal sources) isolated in Portugal between 2009 and 2012 were characterised by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and flaA short variable region (SVR) typing. Susceptibility to six antibiotics as well as the mechanisms underlying antibiotic resistance phenotypes was also studied. Based on MLST typing, C. coli strains were genetically more conserved, with a predominant clonal complex (CC828), than C. jejuni strains. In contrast, C. coli isolates were genetically more variable than C. jejuni with regard to flaA-SVR typing. A high rate of resistance was observed for quinolones (100% to nalidixic acid, >90% to ciprofloxacin) and, in general, resistance was more common among C. coli, especially for erythromycin (40.2% vs. 6.7%). In addition, most isolates (86%) were resistant to multiple antimicrobial families. Besides the expected point mutations associated with antibiotic resistance, detected polymorphisms in the cmeABC locus likely play a role in the multiresistant phenotype. This study provides for the first time an overview of the genetic diversity of Campylobacter strains from Portugal. It also shows a worrying antibiotic multiresistance rate and the emergence of Campylobacter strains resistant to antibiotics of human use.
authors.affiliation: CICS-UBI-Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Avenida Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal.
authors.forename: Andreia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: National Reference Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Infections, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: National Reference Laboratory of Antimicrobial Resistances, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Manageiro
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, CIISA, TULisbon, Av. da Universidade Técnica, Pólo Universitário, Alto da Ajuda, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, CIISA, TULisbon, Av. da Universidade Técnica, Pólo Universitário, Alto da Ajuda, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fraqueza
authors.affiliation: National Reference Laboratory of Antimicrobial Resistances, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caniça
authors.affiliation: CICS-UBI-Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Avenida Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal. Electronic address: fdomingues@ubi.pt.
authors.forename: Fernanda C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Domingues
authors.affiliation: National Reference Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Infections, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oleastro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D017000:Campylobacter coli / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D005408:Flagellin / Q000235:genetics; D005516:Food Microbiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D058889:Molecular Typing; D011174:Portugal; D055815:Young Adult; D000818:Animals
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005408:Flagellin; C067138:flaA protein, bacteria
keywords: Antibiotic susceptibility; Campylobacter; Genetic diversity