Molecular identification and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Campylobacter strains of poultry origin in India with special emphasis on fluoroquinolone resistance

The current study aimed to identify the selected number of Campylobacter strains of poultry origin in India that were isolated in the Laboratory of International Prevention of Epidemics, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Japan to the species level with the aid of cdtA/B/C gene-based multiplex PCR assays as well as to investigate their antimicrobial resistance profiles. C. jejuni (4 strains) and C. coli (16 strains) were identified. The poultry isolates identified were subjected to susceptibility testing with the aid of disk diffusion method using 12 antimicrobial agents. Again, the resistant and intermediate isolates confirmed by the disk diffusion method were subjected to determination of minimum inhibitory concentration by agar dilution method. To elucidate the mechanism of quinolone resistance, a total number of 20 quinolone resistant strains were subjected to sequence determination and analysis of the gyrA gene in the quinolone-resistance determining region. The results of the disk diffusion method were consistent with the results of the agar dilution method with slight variation in case of ampicillin, levofloxacin, ofloxacin and fosfomycin. All C. jejuni and C. coli strains had the Thr 86 to Ile substitution in gyrA. Results of this study support the emergence of resistance of C. jejuni and C. coli strains of poultry origin in India to a variety of antimicrobials especially fluoroquinolones. Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. June 2015, 1(1): 1-8