A modified broth-disk antibiotic susceptibility test for Campylobacter jejuni

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Antimicrobial Resistance
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Campylobacter species are significant human pathogens.
• Accurate antibiotic susceptibility testing is crucial for guiding treatment decisions.
• Existing methods for Campylobacter susceptibility testing can be complex or time-consuming.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a modified broth-disk method for determining antibiotic susceptibility in Campylobacter jejuni.
• To compare the results of the broth-disk method with established agar dilution techniques.
• To assess the reliability, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness of the proposed method.

Main Methods:

• A broth-disk method, adapted from anaerobic testing, was employed for Campylobacter jejuni under aerobic conditions.
• The culture medium comprised Brucella broth with 0.13% agar and specific supplements (ferrous iron, sodium pyruvate, sodium bisulfite).
• Antibiotic-impregnated disks were used to estimate minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) breakpoints for susceptibility testing.

Main Results:

• The modified broth-disk method demonstrated reproducible results for antibiotic susceptibility testing.
• The method achieved 90-100% agreement with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values determined by agar dilution.
• Susceptibility of 29 Campylobacter jejuni strains to seven different antibiotics was successfully evaluated.

Conclusions:

• The adapted broth-disk method is a reliable and accurate tool for assessing Campylobacter jejuni antibiotic susceptibility.
• This method offers a simple and cost-effective alternative to traditional susceptibility testing techniques.
• The findings support the clinical utility of this broth-disk assay for guiding antimicrobial therapy against Campylobacter infections.