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. 2014 Jan 15;44(3):693-9.
doi: 10.1590/s1517-83822013000300005. eCollection 2013.

Detection of CDT toxin genes in Campylobacter spp. strains isolated from broiler carcasses and vegetables in São Paulo, Brazil

Aline Feola de Carvalho  1 , Daniela Martins da Silva  1 , Sergio Santos Azevedo  2 , Rosa Maria Piatti  1 , Margareth Elide Genovez  1 , Eliana Scarcelli  1
Affiliations

Detection of CDT toxin genes in Campylobacter spp. strains isolated from broiler carcasses and vegetables in São Paulo, Brazil

Aline Feola de Carvalho et al. Braz J Microbiol. .

Abstract

Campylobacteriosis is a worldwide distributed zoonosis. One of the main virulence factors related to Campylobacter spp. in animals and humans is the cytolethal distending toxin (CDT), encoded by three adjacent genes (cdtA, cdtB, cdtC). The occurrence of Campylobacter spp. in samples of vegetables has not been reported in Brazil yet, and has seldom been described in the international literature. The detection of CDT in these strains has not been reported, either. The objectives of the present study were to determine the occurrence of Campylobacter spp. strains carrying virulence factors in samples of poultry and vegetables (lettuce and spinach) from different points of sale, thus verifying if vegetables are as an important vehicle for potentially virulent Campylobacter spp. strains as poultry. Twenty four strains were identified as Campylobacter jejuni by phenotypic and genotypic methods: 22 from broiler carcasses and two from lettuce samples. Three strains were identified as Campylobacter coli: two from broiler carcasses and one from lettuce. The presence of the cdt genes were detected in 20/24 (83.3%) C. jejuni strains, and 3/3 (100%) C. coli strains. The isolation of Campylobacter spp. strains with the cdt gene cluster in lettuce samples points to a new possible source of contamination, which could have an impact in the vegetable production chain and risk to public health. Results show that potentially virulent C. jejuni and C. coli strains remain viable in samples of broiler carcasses and vegetables at the points of sale.

Keywords: Campylobacter spp.; Multiplex-PCR; broiler carcasses; cytolethal distending toxin (CDT); vegetables.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Multiplex-PCR for cdt genes (cdtA, cdtB and cdtC) in C. jejuni strains. M: molecular weight marker (100 bp DNA Ladder - Invitrogen); 1 to 24: C. jejuni strains; + Positive control (C. jejuni ATCC 33291); − Negative control.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Multiplex-PCR for cdt genes (cdtA, cdtB and cdtC) in C. coli. strains M: molecular weight marker (100 bp DNA Ladder - Invitrogen); 25 to 27: C. coli strains; (+): Positive control (C. coli CDC A3315); (−): Negative control.
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