Changing risk of environmental Campylobacter exposure with emerging poultry production systems in Ethiopia

Abstract

SUMMARYCampylobacter is a leading cause of diarrhoea, and its presence in chickens is a significant risk for zoonotic infection. Poultry production is becoming increasingly intensive in Ethiopia and is incorporating more high-producing breeds into traditionally managed smallholdings, especially in peri-urban areas. This cross-sectional study sampled 219 household environments in one peri-urban and two rural areas of Ethiopia, and an additional 20 semi-intensive farms in the peri-urban district. Campylobacter was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-specific assays in 44 samples; 16 of which could be identified as C. jejuni. Flocks in the peri-urban area were at significantly greater odds of detection, including those which only kept indigenous birds under a scavenging system. It was also noted that scavenging flocks of exotic high-production birds (Rhode Island Red) were at slightly greater risk, perhaps as exotic birds are under more stress when kept under traditional management systems. We suggest that changes to the system of chicken production may alter the ecology and epidemiology of Campylobacter in the environment, chickens and people, which may drive emergence of new epidemiological patterns of disease. Further research is needed to determine the extent to which the current management intensification and the distribution programmes of exotic and/or improved indigenous birds may alter Campylobacter epidemiology, ecology and public health risk, before their widespread adoption.

Identification and Characterization of Campylobacter Species in Livestock, Humans, and Water in Livestock Owning Households of Peri-urban Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A One Health Approach

“…In high-income countries, symptomatic infection occurs in all age groups, whereas in lowincome countries, clinical disease mostly affects children under 5 years of age, with adults rarely suffering from the disease, predominately having asymptomatic excretion (8,9). Most Campylobacter species have been isolated from animals, and direct and indirect contact with animals is a known risk factor for Campylobacter infection, especially in children (10)(11)(12). Animals can serve both as reservoirs, and as potential sources for the contamination of food, water, and the environment (4,(13)(14)(15).…”

“…There is increasing antimicrobial resistance amongst Campylobacter isolates from various sources (18)(19)(20). This situation is more common in developing countries, where there is widespread and largely uncontrolled use of antimicrobials (11,12,21).…”

Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Local and Exotic Breeds of Chickens in Pankrono–Kumasi, Ghana

“…In Ghana, the village or backyard poultry production system is the most prevalent one, complemented by the commercial production system. The country's village poultry population was estimated at 12 million [9] and in 2005 at over 20 million (FAOSTAT), accounting for 60 – 80% of the national poultry population being kept all over the country in the rural and periurban areas [10], with the Upper East, Upper West, and the Northern regions being the concentrated regions compared to exotic breeds.…”

Regional differences in presence of Shiga toxin‐producing Escherichia coli virulence‐associated genes in the environment in the North West and East Anglian regions of England

“…This method has been demonstrated to be just as, if not more, sensitive than the older drag swab method developed for use on chicken farms (Buhr et al 2007;Lungu et al 2012). Boot socks have also recently been used to sample for pathogens in the wider environment (Brena et al 2016;Jones et al 2017). The aim of this research was to analyse boot socks generated during the Enigma project for Campylobacter to determine the frequency with which STEC-associated virulence genes were detected in the English countryside (Jones et al 2017).…”