Incidence and Antibiotic Resistance Properties of Campylobacter Species Isolated From Poultry Meat

Background: F Campylobacter species are imperative foodborne bacteria because of the contaminated poultry meat consumption. Objectives: This study was conducted to recognize the incidence and antimicrobial resistance profile of Campylobacter species recovered from raw poultry meat samples. Materials and Methods: A total of 695 poultry meat samples were collected and assessed by culture technique. Bacterial species were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Antimicrobial resistance was assessed by disk diffusion method (DDM). Results: The contamination rate of samples with Campylobacter spp. was 44.75% with higher contamination rate of wild duck (84%), wild goose (83.33%), coot (78.26%), chicken (67.78%), and wild pheasant (66.66%), respectively. Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli bacteria were found in 84.24% and 15.76% of Campylobacter spp., respectively. The highest incidence of C. jejuni was obtained in partridge (95.45%), quail (95%), pheasant (92.31%), and wild duck (90.48%) meat samples, respectively. The highest incidence of C. coli was found in turkey (52.63%) and wild pheasant (22.22%) meat samples, respectively. Moreover, C. jejuni had the highest resistance to tetracycline (76.34%), nalidixic acid (65.65%), ciprofloxacin (58.78%), enrofloxacin (39.69%), and ampicillin (38.55%), respectively. C. coli had the highest resistance to nalidixic acid (48.99%), ciprofloxacin (40.82%), and enrofloxacin (38.78%), respectively. Conclusion: Poultry meat, particularly partridge, quail, pheasant, turkey, and wild avian are the main sources of Campylobacter transmission. Furthermore, higher incidence and antibiotic resistance of C. jejuni was found. Proper cooking of poultry meat and monitoring the antibiotic prescription can lessen the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter spp. in poultry meat.