BackgroundCampylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are food-borne pathogens of great importance and feature prominently in the etiology of developing world enteritis and travellers’ diarrhoea. Increasing antimicrobial resistant Campylobacter prevalence has been described globally, yet data from Peru is limited. Our objective was to describe the prevalence trends of fluoroquinolone and macrolide-resistant C. jejuni and C. coli stool isolates from three regions in Peru over a ten-year period.MethodsSurveillance for enteric pathogens was conducted in Lima, Iquitos and Cusco between 2001 and 2010. Campylobacter stool isolates were tested for susceptibilities to ciprofloxacin, azithromycin and erythromycin. Susceptibilities were reviewed for 4652 isolates from Lima ( n = 3419), Iquitos ( n = 625) and Cusco ( n = 608).ResultsComparing the study periods of 2001-2005 and 2006-2010, prevalence of ciprofloxacin-resistant C. jejuni isolates rose in the study areas of Lima (73.1% to 89.8%, p < 0.001) and Iquitos (24.1% to 48.9%, p < 0.001). Ciprofloxacin-resistant C. coli rates also increased in Lima (48.1% to 87.4%, p < 0.001) and Cusco (10.0% to 65.9%, p = 0.005). Small but significant increases in azithromycin-resistant and erythromycin-resistant C. jejuni prevalence were noted in Iquitos (2.2% to 14.9%, p < 0.001; 3.2% to 14.9%, p = 0.002), and erythromycin-resistant C. coli rates increased in Lima (0.0% to 5.3%, p = 0.038). The prevalence of C. jejuni isolates resistant to both ciprofloxacin and azithromycin increased in Iquitos (0.3% to 14.9%, p < 0.001) and Lima (0.3% to 1.6%, p = 0.011), and prevalence of C. jejuni isolates resistant to both ciprofloxacin and erythromycin rose in Iquitos (0.0% to 14.9%, p < 0.001). Ciprofloxacin and erythromycin resistant C. coli prevalence increased in Lima (0.0% to 5.3%, p = 0.034).ConclusionsThese results have implications for the empirical management of enterocolitis in Peru. Ongoing surveillance is essential to guide appropriate antimicrobial use in this setting. Local epidemiological studies to explore the relationship between increasing antimicrobial resistance and agricultural or human antibiotic use may be valuable.

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Objetivos: Conocer la prevalencia de Arcobacter en niños y adultos con/sin diarrea y en animales: aves, ganado vacuno y porcino, peces y mariscos. Diseño: Estudio transversal descriptivo. Institución: Instituto de Medicina Tropical Daniel A. Carrión, Facultad de Medicina, UNMSM, Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño, Instituto Materno Infantil de San Bartolomé y Hospital Arzobispo Loayza. Material biológico: Aislamientos bacterianos de humanos y animales. Intervenciones: Búsqueda activa de Arcobacter sp. en humanos y animales. Principales medidas de resultados: Porcentajes. Resultados: De 197 niños incluidos en el estudio, 100 tenían diarrea y de estos en dos (2%) se aisló A. butzleri; entre los niños sin diarrea, no se aisló el germen. De 232 adultos, 52 tuvieron diarrea y 180 no; el único aislamiento se obtuvo de este último grupo. Los animales con mayor prevalencia de Arcobacter sp. fueron los bovinos (25%) y porcinos (29,2%). Entre las especies marinas con prevalencias altas: choro 24% (12/50) y langostinos 22% (11/50). Conclusiones: De acuerdo a los resultados de este estudio, Arcobacter resultó una bacteria zoonótica potencialmente patógena para el ser humano, en particular para los niños, así como hubo presencia de este agente en especies animales utilizadas para el consumo humano.