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Published on: October 22, 2013
Host-associated genetic import in Campylobacter jejuni
Noel D McCarthy1, Frances M Colles, Kate E Dingle
1Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom. noel.mccarthy@zoo.ox.ac.uk
Emerging Infectious Diseases
|May 8, 2007
Summary
Campylobacter jejuni host association was analyzed. A full allelic profile method accurately distinguished chicken and bovid isolates, revealing host-specific signatures and within-species transmission.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genomics
- Veterinary Science
Background:
- Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis globally.
- Understanding host association is crucial for controlling C. jejuni transmission.
- Current genotyping methods have limitations in accurately determining host origins.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the host association of Campylobacter jejuni using multilocus sequence typing data.
- To evaluate the accuracy of different genotyping methods in distinguishing C. jejuni isolates from different hosts.
- To explore the genetic basis of host-specific signatures in C. jejuni.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of multilocus sequence typing (MLST) data from 713 C. jejuni isolates.
- Comparison of commonly used genotype summaries (sequence type, clonal complex) versus full allelic profiles.
- Investigating the role of recombination and allele importation in host adaptation.
Main Results:
- Full allelic profiles achieved 80% accuracy in distinguishing C. jejuni isolates from chickens and bovids.
- Commonly used genotype summaries showed poor accuracy for host discrimination.
- C. jejuni strains acquire host-specific alleles, indicating adaptation and within-species transmission.
Conclusions:
- Allelic profiling provides a more accurate method for determining C. jejuni host association.
- Host-specific signatures suggest that while C. jejuni moves between hosts, transmission is predominantly within species.
- This approach can improve source prediction for C. jejuni and similar pathogens.
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