Understanding Campylobacter coli isolates from the Vietnamese meat production network; a pilot study

Abstract

Changing farming practices and the associated increase in the use of antibiotics are amongst the main drivers shaping the global increase of Campylobacter infections. The effects farming practices have on Campylobacter species, need to be studied at the global scale, particularly in emerging middle-income countries, where the demand for low-cost poultry meat is rising. While C. jejuni causes the majority of poultry associated diarrhoea, C. coli causes a significant amount of disease but are relatively understudied. In this study we characterised seven C. coli strains isolated from poultry farms and markets in Hanoi, Vietnam. Comprehensive data sets of bacterial Whole-Genome Sequencing; and phenotypic assays, such as, growth, motility, antimicrobial resistant testing along with virulence testing were performed to reveal the genetic relatedness and pathophysiological characteristics of seven C. coli strains. Six isolates were classified as multi-drug resistant, with all isolates resistant to ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid and tetracycline, but susceptible to phenicols. All isolates had similar growth rates, while five were hyper-motile. Lethality of the isolates towards a tractable host-model system, larvae of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella, often used to determine Campylobacter virulence was demonstrated for the first time for C. coli. Multilocus sequence typing data correlates with North American, European, and Asian isolates from patients suffering from gastroenteritis, emphasising the global spread of these strains. This work demonstrates that C. coli, with high levels of antimicrobial resistance, is an understudied global threat.