Antimicrobial Resistance of Campylobacter jejuni Isolated from Chicken Carcasses in the Federal District, Brazil

• Published in: Journal of food protection Vol. 76; no. 4; pp. 691 - 693
• Main Authors: Moura, Helenira Melo de, Silva, Patrícia Renault, Silva, Patricia Helena Caldeira da, Souza, Nará Rubia, Racanicci, Aline Mondini C, Santan, Ângela Patrícia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Des Moines, IA International Association for Food Protection 01.04.2013; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Acids; Amoxicillin; analysis; Animals; antibiotic resistance; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial agents; Biological and medical sciences; Brazil; Campylobacter; Campylobacter jejuni; Campylobacter jejuni - drug effects; Campylobacter jejuni - isolation & purification; chicken carcasses; Chickens; Chickens - microbiology; chloramphenicol; ciprofloxacin; Consumer Product Safety; Diarrhea; drug effects; Drug resistance; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; erythromycin; Food Contamination; Food contamination & poisoning; Food Contamination - analysis; Food industries; food processing; Food safety; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gentamicin; Humans; isolation & purification; Meat and meat product industries; Microbiology; nalidixic acid; Poultry; Public Health; Sheep; streptomycin; tetracycline; Brazil; South America; America; Vertebrata; Sensitivity resistance; Poultry; Campylobacteraceae; Meat product; Bacteria; Chicken; Aves; Survival; Carcass; Campylobacter jejuni
• DOI: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-12-485
• ISSN: 0362-028X; 1944-9097

The aim of the present study was to perform microbiological isolation of Campylobacter jejuni from chilled chicken carcasses marketed in the Federal District of Brazil and to subject the strains to an antibiogram. A total of 92 samples from chilled chicken carcasses were acquired, 18 of which (19.56%) tested positive for C. jejuni. A total of 16 strains were tested for susceptibility to eight antimicrobial drugs. All 16 strains were resistant to ciprofloxacin, 15 strains to nalidixic acid, streptomycin, tetracycline, and gentamycin, 14 strains to amoxicillin, 11 strains to erythromycin, and 6 strains to chloramphenicol. The present study is the first to report on the presence of C. jejuni in chilled chicken carcasses marketed in the Federal District region of Brazil. These results may indicate flaws in certain steps of this food processing and highlight a possible public health problem due to the high level of resistance exhibited by the isolated strains.