Prevalence and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Campylobacter spp. Isolated from Clinical Samples during 2012-2015

Campylobacter is an important pathogen which causes the gastrointestinal tract infection. It is found in all ages of patient but is more common among young children. Transmission occurs via consuming undercooked or contaminated water. The clinical symptoms are wide range from asymptomatic to symptomatic. In Thailand, there is no available data on the report of outbreak in human infection and rate of antimicrobial resistance. The aim of this study was, therefore, to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Campylobacter spp. isolated from patient samples during 2012 to 2015. A total of 1,190 clinical samples consisted of stools from 1,087 diarrheal patients and 104 blood cultures. The results showed that of the total 107 (8.98 %) Campylobacter spp. isolates identified, 69 (5.79%) were C. fetus, 25 (2.09%) were C. jejuni, 9 (0.75%) were C. coli, 3 (0.25%) were C. lari and only 1 (0.08%) was C. upsaliensis. The positive results of C. fetus were from the over 30 years age group and in male more than in female. The positive results of C. jejuni were more common in children under the age of 10 years. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing by E-test showed that the majority of infections are multidrug-resistant (MDR) such as ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid. However, the macrolides, which is an alternative medicine to treat the infection remains effective against bacteria of all species except C. coli. The results of the study are the guidelines and epidemiology to the doctors selecting the right and proper drugs for treatment.