This study used three complementary datasets to investigate the relationship between human Campylobacter infections in Estonia and potential sources. A targeted dataset of 15 C. jejuni genomes with overlapping sequence types from human cases and broiler chicken meat was analysed using genotyping and in silico antimicrobial resistance profiling, alongside 20 human isolates for source attribution. Additionally, 12,111 isolates were analysed to provide population-level context. The core genome multilocus sequence typing showed a high similarity (less than three allelic differences) between the human and broiler isolates of ST122, ST464, and ST7355, indicating poultry as a likely source, whereas ST9882 was more divergent (13–18 allelic differences). The resistance profiles were consistent within ST122, ST464, and ST7355, and all were resistant to ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid, ampicillin, and tetracycline, while ST9882 additionally exhibited aminoglycoside (streptomycin) resistance. The source attribution linked 77.8% of the human cases to chicken and 22.2% to cattle. A novel genotype, ST11001, was identified in humans and attributed to cattle source, while C. coli isolates were linked to birds and sheep. Poultry dominated the larger dataset (87.3%). Gastroenteritis was the predominant clinical presentation (98.5%), whereas ST22 and ST122 were associated with Guillain–Barré syndrome. These findings support poultry as a major reservoir of human Campylobacter infections and highlight the need for coordinated cross-border surveillance.
Ivanov et al. (Sat,) studied this question.