Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Properties of Campylobacter Spp. Originating from Domestic Geese in Poland

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Campylobacter spp. is the most common bacterial cause of human gastroenteritis in the world. Poultry and poultry products are considered to be the most important foodborne sources of campylobacteriosis in humans. In this study, the consumption of goose meat was shown as a potential risk for human campylobacteriosis. The common prevalence of these bacteria in geese cecum contributes to the high contamination of geese carcasses during slaughter. Moreover, Campylobacter isolated from geese harbored various virulence factors involved in adhesion and invasion and were resistant to some antimicrobial drugs. ABSTRACT: A total of 240 samples were evaluated for the presence of Campylobacter spp. Campylobacter was found in 83.3% of the cecum contents samples and 52.5% of the neck skin samples from carcasses. The prevailing species was C. jejuni, accounting for 87.7% of all Campylobacter isolates, and the remaining 12.3% of isolates were C. coli. All Campylobacter isolates, independent of the sample origin and species, were positive for 6 out of 15 tested genes (flaA, flhA, cadF, racR, ciaB, and cdtA genes). The prevalence of dnaJ, docA, pldA, cdtB, cdtC, and iam genes was also very common (ranging from 86.5% to 98.8%). The lowest prevalence was noted for virB11 and wlaN genes, both in Campylobacter isolates from cecum (12% and 19%) and carcasses (11.1% and 17.5%). None of the isolates tested, regardless of the sample origin, carried the cgtB gene. The highest resistance rates were observed for quinolones (90.8%) and tetracyclines (79.8%). Simultaneously, only single Campylobacter isolate was resistant to macrolides (0.6%) and none of the isolates showed resistance to aminoglycosides and amphenicols. The common presence of Campylobacter on geese carcasses as well as the detection of multidrug-resistant isolates indicate that consuming goose meat might cause a potential risk, therefore leading to human campylobacteriosis.