The prevalence of thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. in broiler caeca and their resistance to antibiotics

Campylobacteriosis is one of the most frequent alimentary infections in humans in Europe. The numbers of reported infections have exceeded those of salmonellosis for several years. These infections are caused by thermotolerant species of the genus Campylobacter, particularly Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. The main sources of Campylobacter infections in humans are poultry and poultry meat. The State Veterinary Administration of the Czech Republic has been monitoring the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in selected commodities since 2006 as a part of its zoonosis surveillance. Data collection and assessment and tests for antibiotic resistance are performed by the National Reference Laboratory for Campylobacter of the State Veterinary Institute in Olomouc. In 2012, the prevalence of thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. in broiler caeca in the Czech Republic reached 60%. The isolates show high levels of resistance to quinolone antibiotics.