Indagine sulla presenza e la sensibilità agli antibiotici di Campylobacter termofili isolati da polli broiler in Nord Italia

Thermophilic Campylobacter spp. infections are the main cause of human bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, and currently representing a relevant public health problem. Furthermore, an increasing number of thermophilic Campylobacter isolated from animals, humans and foodstuffs is resistant to antimicrobial drugs commonly used in therapy of human campylobacteriosis. Since the leading role of poultry in transmitting the infection to humans, this study was carried out to evaluate the presence and the antimicrobial susceptibility of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. in commercial broiler farms in Northern Italy. A total of 200 cloacal swabs from 10 chicken flocks were examined. Seven chicken flocks were positive for thermophilic Campylobacter. C. jejuni was detected in 63.8% of positive samples and C. coli in 36.2%. The agar disk diffusion method (Kirby-Bauer, 1966) was used to test the susceptibility to 20 antimicrobial drugs of 36 C. jejuni isolates and 21 C. coli isolates. All isolates showed resistance to multiple antimicrobial drugs. Most isolates were resistant to quinolones, ampicillin and cephalosporins. A number of isolates was also resistant to oxytetracycline and sulphametoxazole+trimethoprim. Most isolates were susceptible to aminoglycosides, amoxicillin+clavulanic acid and cefotaxime, and all susceptible to chloramphenicol. Susceptibility to macrolides, clindamycin, oxytetracycline and streptomycin was different between C. coli and C. jejuni. Particularly, most of C. coli isolates were resistant to macrolides and clindamycin, while most C. jejuni were susceptible. This study showed a widespread presence of thermophilic Campylobacter in commercial broilers and a high occurrence of antimicrobial resistance among them. Chicken meat represents one of the main sources of food-borne infection in humans and antimicrobial resistant isolates could be transmitted to humans through food. Therefore, antimicrobial resistance profiles of Campylobacter strains should be strictly monitored due to the relevant impact on public health.