Department of Food Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran.
Research Center of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran.
BMC Infect Dis. 2024 Nov 29;24(1):1368. doi: 10.1186/s12879-024-10256-9.
Arcobacter species are emerging foodborne pathogens increasingly associated with human illness worldwide. They are commonly found in the gastrointestinal tracts of animals and are frequently isolated from various food sources, including raw meat, poultry, and seafood. The aim of this study is to investigate the antimicrobial resistance patterns of Arcobacter spp. isolated from human stool samples, animal products, ready-to-eat salad mixes, and ambient water, assess the presence of resistance genes, and explore their potential implications for public health.
In this study, a total of 683 samples were collected from the Shahrekord area over a 12-month period. Samples were obtained from human stool, chicken meat, raw cow milk, RTE salad mixes, and environmental water sources. Two different methods were used to detect Arcobacter, depending on the sample type: bacteriological isolation and identification, and molecular identification. After identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to identify ten putative Arcobacter virulence and resistance genes.
The results revealed that Arcobacter spp. were present in 26.06% (178 out of 683) of the tested samples, with varying isolation rates across different sample types. A. butzleri being the most commonly isolated species across all sample types, while A. cryaerophilus was restricted to RTE salads, surface waters, and chicken meat. Notably, A. skirrowii was only isolated from chicken meat and environmental water. The differences of Arcobacter spp. in prevalence between the sample types were statistically significant (p < 0.05), and no significant seasonal variation was found across the sampling periods (p > 0.05). PCR analysis for ten putative virulence genes indicated that the cadF gene was present in all Arcobacter isolates. Similarly, 83.33% of the tested strains harbored the ciaB gene, while other genes were less frequently detected. Regarding resistance genes, tet(O) (7.69%) was the most identified gene, followed by blaOXA-61 (4.37%).
In conclusion, this study highlights the alarming prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in Arcobacter spp. Monitoring Arcobacter spp. resistance can be achieved through surveillance, risk assessments, antibiotic stewardship in agriculture, public education, research collaborations, rapid diagnostics, and harmonized policies, all aimed at reducing contamination and safeguarding public health effectively.
弯曲菌属是一种新兴的食源性致病菌，在全球范围内与人类疾病的关系日益密切。它们通常存在于动物的胃肠道中，并且经常从各种食物来源中分离出来，包括生肉、家禽和海鲜。本研究旨在调查从人类粪便样本、动物产品、即食沙拉混合物和环境水中分离出的弯曲菌属的抗生素耐药模式，评估耐药基因的存在，并探讨其对公共卫生的潜在影响。
本研究共采集了 12 个月内来自设拉子地区的 683 份样本。样本取自人类粪便、鸡肉、生牛乳、即食沙拉混合物和环境水源。根据样本类型，采用两种不同的方法检测弯曲菌：细菌分离和鉴定以及分子鉴定。鉴定后，进行抗生素药敏试验。聚合酶链反应（PCR）用于鉴定 10 种推定的弯曲菌毒力和耐药基因。
结果显示，683 份测试样本中，26.06%（178 份）检测到弯曲菌属，不同样本类型的分离率不同。所有样本类型中最常见的分离菌为 A. butzleri，而 A. cryaerophilus 仅局限于即食沙拉、地表水和鸡肉中。值得注意的是，A. skirrowii 仅从鸡肉和环境水中分离出来。不同样本类型中弯曲菌属的流行率差异有统计学意义（p<0.05），且在采样期间未发现明显的季节性变化（p>0.05）。对 10 种推定毒力基因的 PCR 分析表明，所有弯曲菌属分离株均存在 cadF 基因。同样，83.33%的受试菌株携带 ciaB 基因，而其他基因的检出率较低。关于耐药基因，tet(O)（7.69%）是最常见的基因，其次是 blaOXA-61（4.37%）。
综上所述，本研究强调了弯曲菌属对抗生素耐药性的惊人流行率。通过监测、风险评估、农业抗生素管理、公众教育、研究合作、快速诊断和协调一致的政策，可以实现对弯曲菌属耐药性的监测，从而有效减少污染并保障公共卫生。
