title: Helicobacter pullorum isolated from fresh chicken meat: antibiotic resistance and genomic traits of an emerging foodborne pathogen.
abstract: Meat and meat products are important sources of human intestinal infections. We report the isolation of Helicobacter pullorum strains from chicken meat. Bacteria were isolated from 4 of the 17 analyzed fresh chicken meat samples, using a membrane filter method. MIC determination revealed that the four strains showed acquired resistance to ciprofloxacin; one was also resistant to erythromycin, and another one was resistant to tetracycline. Whole-genome sequencing of the four strains and comparative genomics revealed important genetic traits within the H. pullorum species, such as 18 highly polymorphic genes (including a putative new cytotoxin gene), plasmids, prophages, and a complete type VI secretion system (T6SS). The T6SS was found in three out of the four isolates, suggesting that it may play a role in H. pullorum pathogenicity and diversity. This study suggests that the emerging pathogen H. pullorum can be transmitted to humans by chicken meat consumption/contact and constitutes an important contribution toward a better knowledge of the genetic diversity within the H. pullorum species. In addition, some genetic traits found in the four strains provide relevant clues to how this species may promote adaptation and virulence.
authors.affiliation: Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Vítor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.affiliation: National Reference Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Infections, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, National Institute of Health, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cristina Belo
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, National Institute of Health, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Margarida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saraiva
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Bactériologie, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France INSERM U853, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Armelle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ménard
authors.affiliation: Innovation and Technology Unit, Department of Human Genetics, National Institute of Health, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: Innovation and Technology Unit, Department of Human Genetics, National Institute of Health, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Sampaio
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.affiliation: Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: João Paulo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: National Reference Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Infections, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Lisbon, Portugal monica.oleastro@insa.min-saude.pt.
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6360-2576
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oleastro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002645:Chickens; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005516:Food Microbiology; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D016998:Helicobacter / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D004917:Erythromycin; D013752:Tetracycline