Antimicrobial susceptibility of campylobacter jejuni and C. coli strains isolated from poultry and pigs in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance has emerged among Campylobacter spp. mainly due to use of antimicrobial agents in animal feed. A total of 219 samples containing Campylobacter spp. were detected in our research during the course of 2003/4. The samples, originating from chicken (101) and pigs (118) were tested for their resistance to selected antibiotics. Evaluation of results was carried out using agar dilution method (NCCLS M11-A6) to test the sample resistance against ampicillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid. The C. jejuni strain from pigs mainly showed a high resistance to tetracycline (39.13%) and erythromycin (34.78%). Approximately a quarter (26.07%) of C. jejuni detected was resistant to ampicillin and ciprofloxacin (26.09%). C. coli isolates from pigs showed simular results to C. jejuni, such as resistance to tetracycline (60.71%) and erythromycin (56.84%). On the other hand, it was found that C. jejuni in pigs had a high resistance to ciprofloxacin (52.63%) and nalidixic acid (34.74%). C. jejuni isolates from chicken samples had the highest resistance to ciprofloxacin (45.21%) and ampicillin (27.40%), and a low resistance to erythromycin (13.70%). A quarter of the samples collected were resistant to nalidixic acid. In comparison of C. jejuni prevalence, resistance to tetracycline (21.92%) was lower in chicken than in pig samples. Similar to results of porcine meat analysis, C. jejuni isolated in chickens showed no resistance to chloramphenicol and a low resistance to gentamicin. C. coli strains found in chickens showed high resistance to nalidixic acid (60.71%) and ciprofloxacin (46.43%). Even though laws prevent the use of antimicrobial material in feed for livestock, their resistance to fluoroquinolone antibiotics is high. Prevention of the use of antimicrobial material in feed is the most precise control in raising livestock.