Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter species in shelter‐housed healthy and diarrheic cats and dogs in Turkey

Background Campylobacter spp. are among the leading foodborne bacterial pathogens. Pet animals may be an important reservoir for human infection. Objectives To determine the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance profiles and mechanisms of Campylobacter isolates recovered from shelter‐housed healthy and diarrheic cats and dogs in Erzurum province in Turkey. Methods A total of 250 rectal swabs (from 124 cats and 126 dogs) collected between 2020 and 2021 were included in this study. The samples were cultured using a Campylobacter‐selective agar medium. A single suspect colony from each plate was purified and species identification was performed by PCR. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were determined against eight antibiotics. Specific antimicrobial resistance genes (tetO and aphA‐3) and mutations (in gyrA) were screened by PCR and/or sequencing. Results A total of 26 (10.4%) isolates (25 Campylobacter jejuni and 1 Campylobacter coli) were obtained from the dogs; no Campylobacter was isolated from the cats. Of the C. jejuni isolates, 19.2% were resistant to nalidixic acid, 7.7% to ciprofloxacin and 3.8% to tetracycline and gentamicin per the CLSI interpretative criteria. The C. coli isolate was susceptible to all of the tested antibiotics. Thr‐86‐Ile mutation was the most common change detected in the gyrA gene in the quinolone‐resistant isolates. Conclusion While geographic and population differences exist, Campylobacter carriage and associated antibiotic resistance in dogs is common, emphasising the need for continuous surveillance in this species, particularly given its zoonotic potential. C. jejuni was the predominant species in dog faecal samples. Both clinically healthy and diarrheic cats have not carried Campylobacter species. Dogs younger than four months of age were most frequently infected with Campylobacter species. The‐86‐Ile mutation in the gyrA gene was the main mutation in quinolone‐resistant C. jejuni.