FlaA - typing and isolation of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli from chickens and flies in Eastern Turkey

SUMMARY This study aims to investigate the possible role of flies in the transmission of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli from/to chickens. For that, 450 chicken faeces and 60 fly pools (2 pools by flock) were obtained from 30 different chicken flocks in Eastern Turkey during July and August 2009 and 2010 and examined by culture, PCR and PCR-RFLP (using the detection of the genetic heterogeneity of the flagellin A gene (flaA) after DdeI restriction enzyme digestion). C. jejuni was recovered in 149 (33.1%) faecal chicken samples from all flocks except flocks n°1 and 2 and C. coli in 46 (10.2%) faecal samples from 23 flocks. By PCR-RLFP, 7 different genotypes were achieved for C. jejuni named A (28.9%), B (6.7%), C (5.4%), D (3.4%), E (10.0%), F (32.2%) and G (13.4%) and 4 genotypes for C. coli named 1 (34.8%)), 2 (17.4%), 3 (17.4%) and 4 (30.4%). Except in one flock in which 7 flies were identified as Chrysomyia albiceps and were not infected with Campylobacter spp, all other flies were Musca domestica (house fly). C. jejuni was evidenced in 3 pools (from flocks n°11, 25 and 27), the corresponding genotypes being B in 2 flocks (n°25 and 27) and A in only one flock (n°11), and C. coli (genotype 1) was identified in 2 flocks (n°6 and 21). These results show that commun Campylobacter genotypes were identified in faecal chicken samples and in house flies but that flies have low potential risk in the transmission of Campylobacters to chickens.