Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Thermophilic Campylobacter Isolated from Chicken in Côte d’Ivoire

Thermophilic Campylobacters are major causes of gastroenteritis in human. The main risk factor of
infection is consumption of contaminated or by cross-contaminated poultry meat. In Coteˆ d’Ivoire,
gastroenteritis is usually observed but no case of human campylobacteriosis has been formally
reported to date. The aims of this study were to determine prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of
Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolated from chickens ceaca in commercial slaughter in
Abidjan. Between May and November 2009, one hundred and nineteen (119) chicken caeca samples
were collected and analyzed by passive filtration method followed by molecular identification (PCR).
From these 119 samples, 76 (63.8%) were positive to Campylobacter tests. Among the positive
colonies, 51.3% were C. jejuni and 48.7% were C. coli. Of the 39 C. jejuni isolates, 79.5%, 38.5%,
17.9%, 10.3%, and 7.7% were, respectively, resistant, to nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, amoxicillin,
erythromycin, and gentamicin. Among the 37 isolates of C. coli, 78.4%, 43.2%, 13.5%, 8.1%, and 0%
were resistant, respectively, to the same antibiotics. On the other hand, detection of virulence putative
gene shows presence of cadF in 100 % of tested strains. In addition, cdtA, cdtB and cdtC genes were
detected in 100%; 69.43% and 71.06% respectively of C. jejuni isolates. Moreover, only cdtA gene of
cdt genes was detected in 12.82% of C. coli strains tested in this study. In conclusion, we reported in
this study the presence of high Campylobacter contamination of the studied chickens. Molecular
identification of the bacteria was performed and determination of high resistance to antimicrobials of
the fluoroquinolone family was revealed.