Occurrence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in Food-Producing Animals in Burkina Faso: Emphasis on Pigs

Abstract

Campylobacter spp. are major foodborne pathogens, and their increasing antimicrobial resistance poses a growing public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa, where surveillance remains limited. This study investigated the occurrence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles of Campylobacter spp. in food-producing animals, with a particular focus on pigs in Burkina Faso. A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2024 to July 2025 in Ouagadougou and surrounding areas. A total of 251 fecal samples were collected from pigs (n = 101), sheep (n = 54), goats (n = 51), and cattle (n = 45) and analyzed using standard microbiological methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on freshly recovered colonies immediately after identification, according to the CA-SFM/EUCAST 2024 disk diffusion method. A multiplex PCR targeting the 23S rRNA gene for Campylobacter genus identification and species-specific targets (mapA for C. jejuni, ceuE for C. coli, lpxA-C. lari for C. lari, and lpxA-C. upsaliensis for C. upsaliensis) was used for molecular confirmation. Campylobacter spp. were detected in 18.7% (47/251) of samples, with the highest prevalence observed in pigs (35.6%; 36/101), followed by sheep (11.1%; 6/54), goats (7.8%; 4/51), and cattle (2.2%; 1/45). PCR confirmed C. coli in 80.9% (38/47) and C. jejuni in 17.0% (8/47) of positive samples, while one goat sample showed simultaneous detection of both species (2.1%; 1/47). AMR analysis was performed on the 46 samples yielding a single Campylobacter species; the mixed-species sample was excluded. Resistance was highest to ampicillin (69.6%; 32/46), followed by tetracycline (63.0%; 29/46) and ciprofloxacin (54.3%; 25/46). blaOXA-61 and tet(O) were the most frequently detected AMR genes. These findings suggest that pigs may represent an important reservoir of antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter in the study setting and highlight the need for a One Health approach to strengthen surveillance and mitigate transmission risks along the food chain.