Analysis of Virulence Genes and Antibiotic‐Resistant Profiles of Campylobacter in Huzhou, China

Background Campylobacter is the leading bacterial cause of diarrheal illnesses worldwide. Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are the main pathogens of Campylobacter infections. Drug‐resistant Campylobacter has been classified as a serious antibiotic resistance threat. Methods From 2021 to 2022, 68 Campylobacter were isolated from fecal samples of diarrhea patients and raw poultry meat. Whole genome sequencing data from the isolates were analyzed for virulence and resistance genes, and the agar dilution method was used for antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Results The isolates carried 82 virulence genes related to movement, adhesion, invasiveness, lipopolysaccharides, and toxin synthesis and 6 major categories of resistance genes, including macrolides, quinolones, aminoglycosides, phenicols, tetracyclines, and beta‐lactam. C. jejuni isolates were mainly resistant to nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, and tetracycline, while C. coli isolates were mainly resistant to nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, and erythromycin. Plenty of isolates exhibit multidrug resistance. The isolates from patients and poultry were not separately clustered and were scattered on the minimum spanning tree. Conclusions This article described the genomic characterization and antibiotic resistance features of Campylobacter spp . from retail poultry meats and patients in Huzhou, China. Our results confirmed that Campylobacter isolates from different sources carry similar virulence genes and exhibit similar multidrug resistance. These results indicated a correlation between isolates from different sources, suggesting that live poultry were indeed the source of Campylobacter infection.