Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
05:34
Detection and Isolation of Campylobacter spp. from Raw Meat
Published on: February 23, 2024
Accelerating Campylobacter zoonosis in the Anthropocene
Oakem J Kyne1,2, Bridget S Penman2, David J Kelly3
1Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3EL, United Kingdom.
Summary
Intensive poultry farming has increased the spread of Campylobacter jejuni from chickens to wild birds. This industrial practice reshapes pathogen ecology, accelerating the evolution and spread of this major cause of bacterial gastroenteritis.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Microbial ecology
- Public health
Background:
- Intensive poultry farming concentrates billions of birds, creating environments conducive to pathogen spread.
- Birds are significant reservoirs for zoonotic diseases, including Campylobacter jejuni, a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the impact of poultry intensification on host-pathogen dynamics.
- To investigate the evolution and ecological niche expansion of Campylobacter jejuni strains.
Main Methods:
- Phylogenetic analysis of 2,747 chicken and wild bird genomes.
- Ecological modeling to simulate pathogen spread.
- Genome-wide association studies to identify adaptive genes.
Main Results:
- Poultry intensification has disrupted historic host-specific pathogen associations.
- A significant increase in chicken-to-wild-bird pathogen transmission has been observed since 1900.
- Chicken-adapted strains show genetic adaptations related to stress, motility, and antimicrobial resistance.
Conclusions:
- Intensive poultry farming acts as a 'pathogen sponge,' amplifying zoonotic bacteria like Campylobacter jejuni.
- This reshaping of pathogen ecology accelerates the evolution and spread of bacteria with direct human health implications.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Colonisation of Pathogens
Pathogen colonization of host tissues is a critical step in the development of infectious diseases. Various pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa, have evolved complex strategies to attach to, invade, and persist within host environments. These mechanisms enable pathogens to establish infections, evade immune responses, and resist antimicrobial treatments.Attachment to Host CellsIn bacteria, colonization typically begins with adherence to host epithelial...
01:30Reservoir of Infection
Infectious diseases arise from intricate interactions between pathogens and their reservoirs. A reservoir of infection refers to the natural habitat where a pathogen lives, grows, and multiplies, serving as a continual source of infection. Reservoirs are broadly classified as either living or nonliving, and each plays a unique role in disease transmission, significantly influencing public health interventions and control strategies.Humans act as reservoirs for a wide array of pathogens,...
01:28Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
01:28Amebiasis
Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...
01:29Sources of Food Contamination
Contamination of food by microbial agents and natural toxins poses significant risks to public health. These hazards can be introduced at various points across the food supply chain, ranging from environmental sources to processing and storage stages. Understanding these contamination pathways is critical for developing strategies to ensure food safety.Seafood is particularly vulnerable to contamination through both environmental exposure and microbial colonization. Toxins from harmful algal...
01:27Horizontal Gene Transfer
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a process where genetic material moves between organisms within the same generation, unlike vertical gene transfer, which occurs from parent to offspring. HGT plays a crucial role in microbial evolution, adaptation, and survival, particularly in shared environments like the human gut.Mobile genetic elements such as plasmids, prophages, integrons, insertion sequences, and transposons facilitate this process. HGT occurs through three primary mechanisms:...