Siavash Maktabi - Department of Food Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
Masoud Ghorbanpoor - Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
Masomeh Hossaini - MSc graduated, Department of Food Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
Amirabbas Motavalibashi - MSc graduated, Department of Food Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli are the main causes of gastrointestinal diseases in humans even in industrialized countries affecting public health. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the occurrence and antibiotic resistance of C. jejuni and C. coli in chicken meat, beef, mutton and water buffalo meat slaughtered in Ahvaz city, Iran. A total of ۳۸۰ samples including chicken meat from industrial abattoirs (n = ۱۵۰), chicken meat from traditional abattoirs (n = ۵۰), fresh packed chicken meat from local markets (n = ۳۰) and beef, mutton and water buffalo meat from industrial abattoirs (۵۰ samples for each meat) in Ahvaz,were collected and tested for the presence of Campylobacter spp. The procedure was one-step enrichment in Preston enrichment broth followed by plating on supplemented blood agar for ۲۴ hr under microaerophilic conditions at ۴۲ ˚C. Suspected colonies were tested by polymerase chain reaction assay and susceptibility of the confirmed isolates to various antibiotics was investigated by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Overall, ۳۲ samples (۸.۴۰%) were contaminated with Campylobacter spp. Mutton was the most contaminated meat (۲۴%), while fresh packed chicken meat were not contaminated. Among the ۳۲ isolates, ۴۰.۶۰%, ۳۴.۴۰%, ۲۱.۹۰%, and ۱۵.۶۰% were resistant to tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, and streptomycin, respectively. Moreover, a high number of multi-antibiotic resistant Campylobacter spp. was determined. Since foods of animal origin are the most sources of Campylobacter infection, the presence of resistant strains to antibiotics is a potential risk to public health.

Antibiotic resistance, Beef, Campylobacter, Chicken, Mutton, Water buffalo