Bacteriological and Molecular Identification of Thermophilic Campylobacters of Animal and Human Origins in Beni-Suef Governorate, Egypt

Thermophilic species of the genus Campylobacter are generally considered commensals of livestock and the leading cause of bacterial food-borne zoonoses. The present study was delineated to clarify the role of Campylobacter species as a diarrheagenic pathogen in animals and man and to investigate the fecal carriage rate of Campylobacters in animals and in-contact humans. A total number of 78 fecal samples were collected from diarrheic and non-diarrheic cattle (n=26), sheep (n=28) and humans (n=24). Samples were enriched in Preston broth, followed by streaking on selective Campylobacter agar base medium. The suspected colonies were tested morphologically and biochemically. Campylobacter spp. was recovered from 29 (37.17%) out of 78 fecal samples (34.61%, 42.85% and 33.33%) for cattle, sheep and humans, respectively. Positive correlation between the occurrence of diarrhea and the isolation of Campylobacters was observed in samples of human origin while in adult ruminants particularly sheep, high fecal carriage rate was observed in non-diarrheic animals. The isolates were identified to genus and species levels by polymerase chain reaction targeting the 16S rRNA gene, the mapA gene and the ceuE gene which revealed that all of isolates were Campylobacter jejuni. These findings pose a significant epidemiological implication where cattle and sheep act as vehicles of, and excrete Campylobacter jejuni which is capable of causing disease in the local community in the area of investigation