Survival capability of Campylobacter upsaliensis under environmental stresses

Abstract

Objective Campylobacter upsaliensis has been recognized as an emerging pathogen. However, little is known about its survival in the environment. To evaluate its survival capability, we estimated the reduction in viable counts of C. upsaliensis after aerobic exposure to starvation in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), acidity (pH = 4.3), high osmolarity (4% NaCl), and dryness in wet pulp disks at different temperatures. Also, survival in dog feces and dog food at variable temperate was assessed. Results Campylobacter upsaliensis remained culturable under starvation for 4 days at 25 °C and for 10 weeks at 4 °C. C. upsaliensis was also recoverable after exposure to high osmolality for 9 days, dryness for 5 days, and acidity for 2 days, respectively. Similarly, C. upsaliensis survived in dog feces and dog food for several days at 25 °C and weeks at 4 °C. The survival capability of the organism was dependent on the water content, and also temperature. Notably, the tested C. upsaliensis strain was less resilient under all tested conditions than a C. jejuni strain used as a control. The findings showed that C. upsaliensis is able to survive under various environmental stresses, suggesting that it could pose a potential threat to public health.

Spatiotemporal variations in the occurrence of Campylobacter species in the Bloukrans and Swartkops rivers, Eastern Cape, South Africa

“…Besides, these bacteria have acquired the ability to harsh environmental conditions. Moreover, Campylobacter species exhibit different survival patterns, ascribed to their high genetic diversity and therefore interspecies variations in genes for responding to stress are observed [ 38 ]. For example, Campylobacter jejuni can survive longer in the viable but non-culturable (VBNC).…”

Overview of Ecology and Aspects of Antibiotic Resistance in Campylobacter spp. Isolated from Free-Grazing Chicken Tissues in Rural Households

“…We postulated that besides C. jejuni and C. coli , which are species known to be present in chickens, most of the other isolates could be of either environmental origin, animal origin, or anthropogenic cross-infections [ 26 ]. For example, C. fetus has been isolated from cattle and sheep [ 45 ], Campylobacter cuniculorum from rabbits [ 46 ], and Campylobacter upsaliensis from dogs [ 47 ], while C. rectus is a member of the human oral flora [ 48 ]. In this research, the ecology as well as the resistance to antibiotics of the strains isolated by the quantitative method were studied.…”