Prevalence of Seven Virulence Genes of Campylobacter jejuni Isolated from Patients with Diarrhea in Rosario, Argentina

Background: Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is a major cause of human diarrheal disease. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of different pathogenic genes in isolates recovered from human stool samples in Rosario, Argentina. Methods: A total of 30 isolates were identified as C. jejuni on the basis of morphological and biochemical-based detection. The isolates were screened for the presence of seven pathogenic genes namely flaA, cadF, ciaB, cdtB, cgtB, docC and wlaN, which are responsible for expression of adherence, invasion, colonization, chemotaxis and cytotoxin production in C. jejuni. Results: The isolates showed a wide variation in the presence of these genes. All the isolates were positive for flaA, cadF and cdtB genes. Of the C. jejuni studied, 40.0%, 23.3%, 20.0% and 6.7% were positive for ciaB, docC, wlaN and cgtC, respectively. Conclusions: This study provides initial data on the prevalence and distribution of the flaA, cadF, ciaB, cdtB, cgtB, docC and wlaN genes in C. jejuni.