Carriage of Campylobacter by sows and spread to fattening pigs in farrow-to-finish farms

We carried out a one-year study, in 2008, at 53 farrow-to-finish farms in Brittany, France, to determine the proportion of sows excreting Campylobacter and to determine whether Campylobacter excretion by fattening pigs on these farms was related to transmission from sows. We also determine the genotypes of the Campylobacter isolates

Direct detection of Campylobacter from feces of organic and conventional pigs highlighted the presence of Campylobacter lanienae

In the frame of the CORE Organic II funded European project SafeOrganic, fecal samples from 31 organic pig herds and 31 conventional pig herds were sampled in a slaughterhouse. Samples were highly positive in Campylobacter coli but also in another Campylobacter species not described at that time in France. Identification by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and PCR 16S allowed us to confirm that 85 isolates were C. Lanienae; 56 from conventional pigs and 29 from organic pigs. Individual occurrence in Campylobacter spp. was thus re-estimated to 91.1 % (51/56) and 96.3 % (52/54) for conventional and organic pigs, respectively. A total of 55 isolates of C. Lanienae were studied for their resistance to 7 antibiotics. Only one was pansusceptible. Natural resistance to Nalidixic acid was confirmed. Resistance to Tetracycline was significantly different (p \u3c to 0,001) between the two productions: 88 % of isolates from conventional pigs were resistant against 14% of isolates from organic pigs. Moreover, isolates from conventional pigs were mostly multiresistant (73%) whereas only 5% of strains isolated in organic pigs were multiresistant. The C. lanienae isolates were typed by PFGE using KpnI and SmaI enzymes. The genetic diversity was very high, whatever the enzyme used. No link between PFGE profile and isolate origin or antibiotic resistance pattern was evidenced. This study allowed us to demonstrate for the first time in France that pigs, known to be a reservoir for C. coli may also carry in their feces a species rarely highlighted: C. lanienae. The species was present in fecal samples from conventional and organic pigs. The lower level of antibiotic resistance and multiresistance of C. Lanienae strains for organic pigs may be related to the restricted use of antibiotics in this production

Dynamic of Campylobacter infection within pig farms from sows to fattening pigs

This work aimed at (i) describing Campylobacter excretion by conventional pigs in field conditions from sows to fattening pigs, and (ii) assessing the role of the environment as a source of pig contamination. Five sows and six piglets per sow were individually followed in two farrow-to-finish farms

Comparison of organic and conventional pig productions on prevalence, antibiotic resistance and genetic diversity of Escherichia coli

The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence, the tetracycline resistance level and the genetic diversity of Escherichia coli isolated from organic pigs in comparison with conventional pigs. This study is integrated in a global European project, Safeorganic, funded trough CORE Organic II call. 25 organic and 25 conventional herds were considered in one slaughterhouse from April to October 2012. Colon content of 2 pigs per herds was sampled. For each pig, enumeration of E. coli and of tetracycline resistant E. coli (TET+E. coli) was determined

Campylobacter in organic and conventional pig production in France: antibiotic resistance, genetic diversity and virulence

Campylobacter coli strains from 56 organic and 58 conventional pig colon contents were characterized to evaluate impact of these two productions on antibiotic resistance, genetic diversity and virulence of these strains. 76.8% of organic pigs and 74.0% of conventional pigs were positive in Campylobacter. A total of 262 strains were tested for their resistance to 7 antibiotics. Significant differences were observed for 4 antibiotics (tetracycline, erythromycin, nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin) between the two productions with higher resistance for conventional pig Campylobacter. Multiresistance was more frequently observed for conventional pig strains (54.8%) than for organic pig strains (26.8%). Strains were typed by PFGE (262 strains) and MLST (120 strains). Genetic diversity was very high for both productions with both typing methods. Strains were distributed in 60 PFGE genotypes and in 51 Sequence Types. Ten PFGE clusters (34% of the strains) and nine ST (41.6% of the strains) were common between the two productions. Presence of 9 virulence genes was checked (120 strains) by PCR. All the strains carried the ceuE, iam, ciaB and flaA genes and more than 95% of the strains carried the cadF and cdtABC genes. The virb11 gene on plasmid was detected only for 13 organic pig strains. Capacity of adhesion and invasion of 61 strains were tested on Caco-2 cells. No link between virulence profile and strain origin was observed. However strains with the virb11 gene had higher invasive capacity. In conclusion, no impact of the type of production was observed on the genetic diversity and virulence of Campylobacter strains. The lower level of antibiotic resistance and multiresistance of C. coli strains for organic pigs may be related to the restricted use of antibiotics in this production and / or colonization of organic pigs with susceptible environmental strains

Genetic comparison of Campylobacter coli resulting from pigs and poultry with isolates resulting from human campylobacteriosis

133 isolates of Campylobacter coli isolated from Brittany in France and collected in 2003 were analysed by RFLP/PFGE. They came from pig (65), poultry (56) and human campylobacteriosis (12). No pulsotype common to the 3 origins could be detected but the analysis of the genetic similarity at 80% of the isolates made it possible to build 19 groups of similarity in 3 cases. Poultry isolates were found in groups containing human isolates. Neverthless, the pig isolates were always in groups different from the poultry isolates and the human ones. These results tend to indicate that the two animal productions would have their own genotype and that the campylobacters from pigs are rarely responsible of human campylobacteriosis

Carriage of Campylobacter by sows and spread to fattening pigs in farrow-to-finish farms

We carried out a one-year study, in 2008, at 53 farrow-to-finish farms in Brittany, France, to determine the proportion of sows excreting Campylobacter and to determine whether Campylobacter excretion by fattening pigs on these farms was related to transmission from sows. We also determine the genotypes of the Campylobacter isolates.</p

Dynamic of Campylobacter infection within pig farms from sows to fattening pigs

This work aimed at (i) describing Campylobacter excretion by conventional pigs in field conditions from sows to fattening pigs, and (ii) assessing the role of the environment as a source of pig contamination. Five sows and six piglets per sow were individually followed in two farrow-to-finish farms.</p

Dynamic of Campylobacter infection within pig farms from sows to fattening pigs

This work aimed at (i) describing Campylobacter excretion by conventional pigs in field conditions from sows to fattening pigs, and (ii) assessing the role of the environment as a source of pig contamination. Five sows and six piglets per sow were individidually followed in two farrow-to-finish farms.</p