Campylobacter jejuni is an important zoonotic pathogen that is the leading cause of both human foodborne bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide and ovine abortion in the United States. Previous studies have demonstrated that the gallbladder of ruminants is often positive on culture for Campylobacter sp., suggesting that this environment may serve as a chronic nidus of infection for maintenance of disease within populations. The objective of this study was to determine if previously identified putative growth promoting factors of C. jejuni are present within the gallbladder mucosa of sheep and to evaluate for bacterial co-localization of C. jejuni with these compounds following experimental inoculation. Direct gallbladder inoculation with C. jejuni sheep abortion (SA) clone clinical isolate IA3902 followed by immunohistochemical analysis and scanning electron microscopy allowed for identification of C. jejuni at the gallbladder mucosal surface and within the gallbladder submucosal glands. Histochemistry identified several putative Campylobacter growth promoting factors including neutral and acid mucins as well as L-fucose to be present both on the mucosal surface as well as in the gallbladder submucosal glands. In summary, following experimental inoculation of the ovine gallbladder, C. jejuni IA3902 was identified in direct contact with the gallbladder mucosal surface and deep mucosal glands in the same location as several putative growth promoting factors. This suggests the yet to be tested hypothesis that under natural conditions of infection, the gallbladder submucosal glands have the potential to provide a protected niche for chronic carriage of C. jejuni in animal hosts.
A survey of the microbial quality of table eggs sold in Trinidad was conducted. For 23 poultry layer farms each visited twice approximately 1 month apart, 25 pooled eggs constituted a composite sample, for 14 shopping malls each visited twice approximately 1 month apart, six pooled eggs made a composite sample and for a total of 102 other retailers across the country each visited once over a 4-month period, six pooled eggs constituted a composite sample. Swabs of egg shells and egg content were tested for selected bacteria. Twenty-four (13.0%), 68 (37.0%), and two (1.1%) of a total of 184 composite eggs (shells, egg content or both) sampled were positive for Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Campylobacter respectively. All 184 samples tested were negative for Listeria spp. Salmonella was recovered from seven (3.8%) egg shell samples only compared with 14 (7.6%) egg content samples only positive for the pathogen. Fifty-two (28.3%) egg shell samples and seven (3.8%) egg content samples were positive for E. coli. Both isolates of Campylobacter coli originated from egg contents. Of a total of 24 composite egg samples positive for Salmonella, eight different serotypes of Salmonella were isolated from a total of 24 Salmonella-positive composite eggs of which S. Enteritidis was the most prevalent, 58.3% (14/24). Salmonella Georgia was isolated for the first time in Trinidad. Failure to properly handle or heat table eggs sold in Trinidad poses a potential health hazard to consumers because of their poor microbial quality.
The aim of this study was to assess whether pregnant mice represent a useful model to study the reproductive pathology of Campylobacter jejuni IA3902 using the end point of positive microbial culture of the organism from the fetoplacental unit. Pregnant BALB/c and CD-1 mice (14 days' gestation) were inoculated orally and intraperitoneally (IP) with 1 × 109 colony-forming units/ml of C. jejuni IA3902. The organism was recovered by microbial culture from the fetoplacental unit in 10 of 10 BALB/c and 10 of 10 CD-1 IP-inoculated pregnant mice and in 29% (2/7) BALB/c and 38% (3/8) CD-1 orally inoculated pregnant mice. Gross reproductive lesions included necrosuppurative placentitis, fetal resorption, intrauterine fetal death, stillborn pups (dead neonates), and multifocal hepatitis. Histological changes consisted of locally extensive neutrophilic and necrotizing placentitis with intralesional bacterial colonies of C. jejuni, ulcerative endometritis, random multifocal hepatitis, and rare cholecystitis. Immunohistochemistry for the major outer membrane protein of C. jejuni revealed moderate to large numbers of the organism at the periphery of the placental discs, within trophoblasts and extracellularly, with invasion into the placental disc largely via the vascular network. The organism is trophic for neutral mucin, iron, and L-fucose within the murine placenta. C. jejuni IA3902 has affinity for the murine reproductive tract, specifically the fetoplacental unit, where it results in a necrotizing placentitis with positive microbial recovery after both IP and oral challenge in BALB/c and CD-1 pregnant mice.
