Molecular Epidemiology And Antimicrobial Susceptibility Of Thermophilic Campylobacters In Broiler Production In Morogoro Municipal, Tanzania

ABSTRACT

Since the discovered of Campylobacter in 1913, is known to cause diseases in human. Investigations were done in broiler poultry by culture method, biochemical molecular technique followed by antimicrobial susceptibility of thermophilic Campylobacter sp in Morogoro Municipal, Tanzania. The objectives of the study were to establish prevalence of thermophilic Campylobacter by molecular and biochemical approach followed by antimicrobial susceptibility at each stage of broiler production. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was used as the definitive identification method of Campylobacter. Out of 580 total samples 58.6% (340) were Campylobacter positive by culture. Among 340 isolates, 47.9% (163) were Campylobacter coli, 34.4% (117) were Campylobacter jejuni and 1.6% (17.6) were Campylobacter jejuni/coli with statistical significant P=0.0005. Biochemical test revealed that out of 340 samples, 36% (53) were C. jejuni and 64% (74) were C. coli. The levels of contamination of Campylobacter in feces and carcasses were 70.8% (241) and 23% (99) respectively with statistical significance difference of P=0.0001. Biosecurity and carcasses processing in different farms and stages (evisceration, rinsing, plucking) were found to be the factors for Campylobacter spp colonization and contamination between farms with statistical significance difference of P=0.00002. Antimicrobial susceptibility to Ciproflaxin, Tetracycline, Chloromphenical, Azithromycin, Ampicillin, Gentamycin, Nalidixic acid, Amoxycilin and Erythromycin were done on 53 Campylobacter spp isolates. High resistance of Campylobacter spp isolates was observed in Ciproflaxin and tetracycline with 58% (n=62) and 56% (n=59) respectively, while high sensitivity of Campylobacter spp to antibiotic was observed in Chloramphenicol and Azithromycin with 76% (n=81) and 69% (n=73) respectively. Finally it was observed that broiler have high contamination of Campylobacter spp and they have high resistance to most antibiotics.