Identification of Genetic Markers of Drug Resistance and Virulence Factor Gene in Campylobacter Jejuni Isolated From Children in North Iraq

Campylobacter(C)spp. are curved, Gram-negative. They are common prevalent causes of zoonotic disease. C.jejuni and C.coli are responsible of about ۹۰% of Campylobacteriosis, associated with diarrheal symptoms. The collected samples included stool of children suffering from diarrhea (۸۰,۱۰۰%). The classical diagnostic methods like direct examination using gram stain or indirect examination via cultivation and purification with special medium assisted us to select ۲۰ isolates (C۱-C۲۰, ۲۵%), while biochemical reaction reduced the suspected samples to ۹ isolates (C۱, C۲, C۶, C۷, C۱۱, C۱۳, C۱۴ and C۲۰). Antibiotic susceptibility test was carried out to show the bacterial susceptibility to the utilized antibacterial, revealing different percent as resist (tetracycline; ۴samples, ۴۵% C۱, C۲, C۶ and C۱۳) and sensitive ۶(C۶, C۷, C۱۳, C۱۴, C۱۷ and C۲۰). Molecular screening was more sensitive by detecting some genetic elements responsible for drug resistance like tetO gene(۳saples,۵۵۹bp.tetracycline)and apha-۳gene(۲ samples,۶۰۰bp.aminoglycosides),and virB-۱۱(۲ samples,۷۰۸)as virulence factor gene. Finally, the sequence of tetO (۳samples) was confirmed by diagnosing Campylobacter spp. as C.jejuni.

Keywords:

Campylobacteriosis , C. jejuni , multidrug resist , genetic determinants