Looking At Campylobacter In French Cattle

FRANCE - French researchers have published the first overview of the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in cattle in France.
calendar icon 19 July 2010
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Feces from 2,255 cattle (calves, young beef cattle, and culled cows) were collected at slaughter from nine departments across France.

Campylobacter was recovered from 16.5 per cent of the 2,255 samples (C. jejuni from 12.8 per cent and C. coli from 3.7 per cent), predominantly from calves. Antimicrobial resistance to six antibiotics of medical and/or veterinary interest was tested with the E-test.

Resistance to tetracycline was found in most isolates (52.8 per cent of C. jejuni isolates and 88.1 per cent of C. coli isolates) in contrast to low but consistent resistance to ampicillin and erythromycin.

Only two C. coli isolates were resistant to gentamicin. Multiple resistance was frequently detected in C. jejuni and C. coli isolates, and 0.8 per cent (3 of 372) of the isolates were resistant to five of the six antimicrobials.

An upward trend in the resistance to quinolones and fluoroquinolones in C. jejuni from calves was found; resistance to nalidixic acid reached 70.4 per cent in 2006 and fluoroquinolone resistance increased from 29.7 to 70.4 per cent during 2002 through 2006.

All data was analysed in parallel using clinical breakpoints or epidemiological cutoff values, and the results overlapped largely, except those for gentamicin.

This five-year survey (2002 through 2006) gives the first overview of the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of C. jejuni and C. coli in cattle in France and documents to what extent cattle may contribute to the environmental reservoir of Campylobacter in France in the context of recurrent reports on links between human campylobacterioses and livestock.

The results underline a notable increase in the resistance to fluoroquinolones in C. jejuni from cattle that may be of significant importance for public health.

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