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Detection and Isolation of Campylobacter spp. from Raw Meat
Published on: February 23, 2024
Characterisation of chicken Campylobacter jejuni isolates using resolution optimised single nucleotide polymorphisms
Shreema Merchant-Patel1, Patrick J Blackall, Jillian Templeton
1Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.
International Journal of Food Microbiology
|October 7, 2008
Summary
Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and binary genetic marker genotyping effectively identified linked Campylobacter jejuni clusters in chickens. These methods proved superior to flaA RFLP typing for resolving genetic diversity and epidemiological links.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genetics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide.
- Accurate genotyping is crucial for tracking C. jejuni transmission and outbreaks.
- flaA RFLP typing has limitations in resolving closely related isolates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and binary genetic marker genotyping for identifying epidemiologically linked C. jejuni clusters.
- To compare the discriminatory power of SNP/binary typing with flaA RFLP.
- To investigate the population structure of chicken-derived C. jejuni and its relation to human isolates.
Main Methods:
- Real-time PCR was used to genotype 88 C. jejuni isolates using optimized sets of SNPs and binary markers.
- Isolates included known epidemiologically linked clusters and diverse flaA types.
- Genotyping data were compared with flaA RFLP and existing data from human isolates.
Main Results:
- SNP and binary typing successfully resolved three known epidemiologically linked clusters of C. jejuni.
- flaA RFLP typing was less discriminatory, with 26 isolates resolving into 14 distinct SNP-binary types.
- Chicken isolates showed high abundance of clonal complexes (CC) -21 and CC-353, including ST-524, and lacked CC-48, which is common in human infections.
Conclusions:
- SNP and binary marker genotyping are highly effective for resolving C. jejuni epidemiological links in chicken populations.
- flaA RFLP typing is unreliable for detailed epidemiological investigations.
- The genetic makeup of chicken C. jejuni isolates suggests that CC-48 may represent a significant non-chicken-associated source of human infections.
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