Antimicrobial Resistance and Antibiogram of Thermotolerant Campylobacter Recovered from Poultry Meat in Baghdad Markets, Iraq

Antimicrobial resistance is a critical public health issue that affects people all over the world. Since bacteria have a proclivity for rapidly acquiring and propagating the resistance gene, antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter has a negative impact on public health. As a result, the creation of new and highly pathogenic clones is facilitated, making antimicrobial treatment more challenging. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial resistance pattern (ARP) models, multiple drug resistance (MDR) models, and multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index of Campylobacter species isolated from poultry meat sold in Baghdad markets, Iraq. By employing the disc diffusion test, 30 Campylobacter strains from chicken meat, including C. jejuni (n=10) and C. coli (n=20), were exposed to tetracycline (TET), erythromycin, Gentamicin, nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, and norfloxacin (NOR). The ARP of the Campylobacter isolates revealed up to five antibiotypes for two species, which revealed resistance to one or more antimicrobials, and 67% of them had MDR resistance to two or more experienced antimicrobials. The NOR-TET model is the most common MDR, having a prevalence of 30% among experienced isolates. In addition, the MAR index, equal to and lower than one, was found in 87% of the isolates. Antibiotic resistance in Campylobacter raises the probability of treatment failure in humans and animals, as well as the propagation of antimicrobial resistance genes. As a result, the presence of Campylobacter in meat could pose a risk of human infection and pollution of the environment.