Hamid Mahmoodipour - Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Behbahan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Behbahan, Iran

Several potential virulence determinants have been proposed for campylobacter Spp., including motility,adherence, invasive capabilities, and toxin production. The best characterized Campylobacter toxin is thecytolethal distending toxin (cdt) which is encoded by three genes, cdtA, cdtB, and cdtC which are required forcytotoxicity.The purpose of this study was determined prevalence of virulence genes involved in cytolethaldistending toxin (CDT) production in thermophilic campylobacter Spp. isolated from fowl Feces. To performthe study 178 fecal samples were collected from fowl. All samples were subjected for isolation ofCampylobacter spp. using prêt KB method and the presumptive isolates authenticated by DNA sequencing of16srRNA genes. Finally, Campylobacter isolates assessed for detection of cdtA, cdtB, and cdtC genes. Theresults obtained indicated that 36 strains of Campylobacter spp. were isolated. Of all isolates 29 strains wereidentified as Campylobacter jejuni and the rest (7 isolates) was Campylobacter coli. prevalence of cdtA, cdtB,cdtC virulence genes in fowl were 83.33%, 91.66%, 91.66%, respectively. These data suggest that cdtA, cdtB,and cdtC genes are widespread among Campylobacter isolates.Therefore, Campylobacter strains isolated from fowl could be considered infectious agent for human.

cdtA, cdtB, cdtC genes, Thermophilic Campylobacters, Fowl