Recent advances and challenges in developing vaccines for Campylobacter jejuni : a comprehensive review

• Published in: World's poultry science journal Vol. 80; no. 3; pp. 767 - 790
• Main Authors: Poudel, Sabin, Zeng, Ximin, Lin, Jun, Cheng, Wen-Hsing, Sukumaran, Anuraj T., Adhikari, Pratima, Kiess, Aaron S., Macklin, Ken S., Zhang, Li
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis Ltd 02.07.2024
• Subjects: Campylobacter; Campylobacter jejuni; Colonization; Effectiveness; Food contamination; Food safety; Foodborne pathogens; Gastroenteritis; Genetic diversity; Health risks; Host-pathogen interactions; Immune response; Immune system; Pathogenesis; Phenotypic variations; Poultry; Public health; Reviews; Vaccine development; Vaccine efficacy; Vaccines
• ISSN: 0043-9339; 1743-4777
• DOI: 10.1080/00439339.2024.2368819

SUMMARYCampylobacter jejuni remains a leading cause of food-borne gastroenteritis worldwide, with contaminated poultry meat being a major transmission vector to humans. Effective control of C. jejuni colonisation in poultry is crucial for reducing public health risks. Among various intervention strategies, vaccination has emerged as a promising avenue. However, the journey towards a universally effective vaccine has not been met due variability in vaccine performance, and more research is still onging across the different species. Our comprehensive review critically examines the progress and problems in developing vaccines against C. jejuni. We concluded that regardless of the approaches used to develop vaccines, previously developed vaccines have effectively induced immunity but there were inconsistency among the results for the reduction in colonisation. Overall, partial success has been achieved in developing C. jejuni vaccine against poultry. This discrepancy highlights the complexity of vaccine development, which must deal with C. jejuni‘s antigenic diversity and the multifaceted nature of host–pathogen interactions. Additionally, the limited knowledge of immune system of chicken has hindered a full understanding of vaccine effectiveness against diverse C. jejuni. Our review highlights the need for further research on the genetic and phenotypic diversity of C. jejuni and the explorate the novel vaccine technology for development of successful C. jejuni vaccine. Additionally, the advances in understanding of C. jejuni pathogenesis and immune responses offer optimism for future vaccine development, ultimately aiming to reduce Campylobacter-related illness and enhance food safety in poultry products.