Campylobacter Colonisation of Poultry Slaughtered at Nigerian Slaughterhouses: Prevalence, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Risk of Zoonotic Transmission.

Zoonotic Campylobacter species (ZCS), particularly C. jejuni and C. coli, cause major foodborne gastroenteritis and poultry is the principal reservoirs. However, there is limited data on Campylobacter transmission risk practices and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Nigeria. Therefore, this study determined the prevalence, AMR, and risk practices aiding Campylobacter transmission in two major slaughterhouses processing poultry carcasses in Enugu State, Nigeria. Four hundred poultry faecal samples were analysed for zoonotic Campylobacter organisms using standard protocols. Antimicrobial resistance was profiled via Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion technique, against eight antimicrobial agents. Risk practices were assessed through slaughterhouse observations and interviews with 56 workers. The overall prevalence of Campylobacter infections was 14.5% (58/400), while the species-specific prevalence were 13% (52/400) and 1.5% (6/400) for C. coli and C. jejuni, respectively. Campylobacter colonisation was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in broilers, and during the wet season. The AMR profile of the isolates against the eight antibiotics tested was: Amoxicillin/clauvlanic acid (100%), vancomycin (100%), tetracycline (96.6%), ciprofloxacin (55.2%), chloramphenicol (44.8%), ceftazidime (10.3%), azithromycin (3.4%) and streptomycin (3.4%). All the 58 Campylobacter isolates were multidrug-resistant. The multiple antibiotic resistance indices ranged from 0.4 to 0.9, with a mean of 0.7. Major risk practice associated with ZCS transmission include non-use of personal protective equipment (100%), slaughtering on unsanitary surfaces (100%), using visibly unclean water for meat processing (100%), improper manual evisceration (75%), eating or drinking during processing (64.4%), slaughtering sick animals (37.5%), inadequate cleaning of surfaces and equipment after use (21.4%) and consuming raw meat during carcass processing (19.6%). The findings reflect critical gaps in food safety, occupational health, prudent antimicrobial use in poultry farming and zoonotic disease control, emphasizing the need for antibiotic regulation, training on hygienic meat processing, public education, infrastructural development of slaughterhouse facilities, and inter-sectorial collaboration to curb Campylobacter contamination and spread of antimicrobial resistance.