Emergence of Genetic Diversity and Multi-Drug Resistant Campylobacter jejuni From Wild Birds in Beijing, China

Abstract

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is considered as an opportunistic zoonotic pathogen that may cause gastroenteritis in humans and other animals. Wild birds may be as potential vectors of C. jejuni around urban and suburban areas. Here, 520 samples were collected from 33 wild bird species in urban and suburban areas, Beijing. In total 57 C. jejuni were isolated from seven species. It was found that Nineteen (33.33%, 19/57) isolates were resistant to at least one of 11 antibiotics, especially streptomycin (36.84%) and four isolates resistant to all. Nineteen (33.33%, 19/57) isolates were multi-drug resistance. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis of the isolates showed that 36 different sequence types (STs) belonged to four Clonal complexes and unassigned. Twenty STs (55.56%) and six alleles among them were first detected. Virulence genes including flaA, cadF, and the cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) gene cluster, were detected in all isolates, but truncated cdt gene clusters only detected in the isolates from the crow, daurian jackdaw and silver pheasant. In conclusion, it was the first detection of C. jejuni involved truncated cdt gene clusters from the silver pheasant. These wild birds around urban and suburban areas may pose potential public health problems as reservoir vectors of C. jejuni.

Migratory wild birds carrying multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli as potential transmitters of antimicrobial resistance in China

“…Many migratory birds choose wetlands around rivers and lakes along this route as habitats for breeding or wintering. Some studies have investigated the intercontinental transmission of MDR bacteria and ARGs by migratory birds to different areas of China [ 18 , 20 , 21 ]. However, no study has yet to comprehensively assess MDR bacteria isolated from migratory birds in different regions and river basins in China.…”

Infrared thermography can detect previsual bacterial growth in a laboratory setting via metabolic heat detection

“…No phenotypic data were presented in these reports. We recently reported crows from Beijing, China, as carriers of ARC (Du et al, 2019), with resistance to aminoglycosides and clindamycin (CLI) being the most at 60%. Two of the 15 crow isolates were resistant to all 11 antibiotics tested.…”

Zoonotic and Public Health Implications of Campylobacter Species and Squamates (Lizards, Snakes and Amphisbaenians)

“…It is the causative agent of campylobacteriosis, a gastrointestinal disease that has been increasing in incidence over the last decade [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. The disease presents as gastroenteritis with fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pains and watery or bloody diarrhea [ 7 ]. While the disease may generally be a self-limiting enterocolitis, clearing on its own within a week, it may also manifest in serious long-term complications including extra-intestinal infections and autoimmune disorders such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, Miller-Fisher syndrome, cholecystitis, inflammatory bowel syndrome and reactive arthritis [ 7 , 8 , 9 ].…”

“…The disease presents as gastroenteritis with fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pains and watery or bloody diarrhea [ 7 ]. While the disease may generally be a self-limiting enterocolitis, clearing on its own within a week, it may also manifest in serious long-term complications including extra-intestinal infections and autoimmune disorders such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, Miller-Fisher syndrome, cholecystitis, inflammatory bowel syndrome and reactive arthritis [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Over the last decade the incidence of campylobacteriosis has increased in both developed and developing countries [ 2 ].…”