New Campylobacter Lineages in New Zealand Freshwater: Pathogenesis and Public Health Implications

This study investigated the diversity of thermophilic Campylobacter species isolated from three New Zealand freshwater catchments affected by pastoral and urban activities. Utilising matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation-time of flight and whole genome sequence analysis, the study identified Campylobacter jejuni (n = 46, 46.0%), C. coli (n = 39, 39%), C. lari (n = 4, 4.0%), and two novel Campylobacter species lineages (n = 11, 11%). Core genome sequence analysis provided evidence of prolonged persistence or continuous faecal shedding of closely related strains. The C. jejuni isolates displayed distinct sequence types (STs) associated with human, ruminant, and environmental sources, whereas the C. coli STs included waterborne ST3302 and ST7774. Recombination events affecting loci implicated in human pathogenesis and environmental persistence were observed, particularly in the cdtABC operon (encoding the cytolethal distending toxin) of non-human C. jejuni STs. A low diversity of antimicrobial resistance genes (aadE-Cc in C. coli), with genotype/phenotype concordance for tetracycline resistance (tetO) in three ST177 isolates, was noted. The data suggest the existence of two types of naturalised waterborne Campylobacter: environmentally persistent strains originating from waterbirds and new environmental species not linked to human campylobacteriosis. Identifying and understanding naturalised Campylobacter species is crucial for accurate waterborne public health risk assessments and the effective allocation of resources for water quality management.