Diversity of thermophilic Campylobacter isolated from slaughter pigs in Norway

Abstract

Out of 100 faecal swab samples, 88 thermophilic Campylobacter representing ten herds were isolated. The species were identified by biotyping and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Of the isolates, 86 (97.7%) were C. coli, one was C. lari, and one was C. jejuni. All three species were isolated from the same herd. Automatic riboprints were performed with the PstI restriction enzyme and RiboPrinter® (automated microbial characterization system). The identification of the isolates was predicted when the corresponding pattern matched one of the patterns in the DuPont identification (DUP-ID) library and was then assigned an identification number. A total of 81 selected C. coli isolates were riboprinted. The isolates could be divided into two clades and five subclades, and 19 isolates could be given five different DUP-IDs from the library: DUP-PST1-1182 (n=6), DUP-PST1-1208 (n=10), DUP-PST1-1175 (n=1), DUP-PST1-1140 (n=1), and DUP-PST1-1163 (n=1). Pigs are healthy carriers of C. coli which showed a high degree of diversity among and within the herds.