Public Health Hazard of Zoonotic Campylobacter jejuni Reference to Egyptian Regional and Seasonal Variations

Abstract

Several Campylobacter species are known to be pathogenic to humans, with Campylobacter jejuni being the main leading cause of campylobacteriosis worldwide. The present investigation aimed to detect C. jejuni from chicken, water, milk and milk products and humans among 4 Egyptian Governorates (Cairo, Fayoum, Minya and Qalubiya) using conventional method and PCR 146 C. jejuni isolates with an incidence of 6.2% were confirmed to species level by polymerase chain reaction through detection of MapA gene. high incidence of C. jejuni was recorded in chicken intestine (12.8%) followed by Chicken farms water (12%), raw chicken meat (9.6%), occupational human workers stool samples (8.4%) then raw milk (2%), Quraish cheese (1.7%) and finally it was 1.2% in yoghourt. The PCR was definitive, reliable method that facilitated rapid identification of C. jejuni to the species level. It concluded that poor hygiene and sanitation in poultry farms could explain this high level of prevalence of C. jejuni among the examined samples.