Prevalence and shedding patterns of Campylobacter spp. in longitudinal studies of kennelled dogs

Dog ownership is considered a risk factor for campylobacteriosis in humans. This study investigated the prevalence and shedding of Campylobacter spp. in kennelled dogs. Faecal samples (n=399) were collected in longitudinal studies from 52 dogs in two kennels. Campylobacter spp. were isolated using charcoal-based selective agars and direct PCR. The prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in dogs in boarding kennels ranged from 46% (95% CI 22, 72) on entry, to 50% (95% CI 30, 70) overall, and in dogs in 'rescue' kennels from 68% (95% CI 49, 84) on entry to 73% (95%, CI 56, 87) overall. C. upsaliensis was isolated from 62% (95% CI 48, 73) of the dogs, whilst C. jejuni was isolated from 15% (95% CI 7, 26) of animals. The majority of infected dogs entered the kennels already carrying Campylobacter spp., and remained infected throughout their stay. However, in some cases, shedding appeared to commence after kennelling. Given that the prevalence of C. upsaliensis and C. jejuni was relatively high in dogs from both boarding and rescue kennels, such animals may pose a zoonotic risk.     

Presence and characterization of Campylobacter jejuni in organically raised chickens in Quebec

The objective of this study was to estimate the presence of the important foodborne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni in organically raised chickens in the province of Quebec. The recovered isolates were further characterized for their antimicrobial resistance profile, autoagglutination property and chemotaxis. Antimicrobial resistance was evaluated using agar dilution for: tetracycline, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, nalidixic acid, clindamycin, ampicillin, azithromycin, bacitracin, and ceftiofur. Autoagglutination was measured by monitoring optical density changes in a bacterial suspension after 3 h of incubation at room temperature. Chemotaxis was evaluated after a contact time of 3 h between isolates and mucin, using a quantitative protocol. A total of 10 lots of chickens was sampled in August and September 2009; half of them were positive for the presence of C. jejuni. Antimicrobial resistance was found only for tetracycline (44%), erythromycin (6%), azithromycin (6%) and clindamycin (2%). Variation was observed in the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for ceftiofur and bacitracin, for which C. jejuni possess intrinsic resistance. Autoagglutination and chemotaxis varied among isolates and lot-level differences in these were observed. Autoagglutination and chemotaxis levels appeared as independent isolate properties. Further monitoring and characterization of isolates originating from organic chickens is of interest since this type of production might represent another source of exposure of consumers to a variety of the foodborne pathogen C. jejuni.     

Antimicrobial drug resistance as determined by the E-test in Campylobacter jejuni, C. coli, and C. lari isolates from the ceca of broiler and layer chickens in Grenada

One hundred and twenty five chickens from Grenada, consisting of 77 broilers and 48 layers were examined for carriage of thermophilic campylobacters in their ceca by culture. Seventy nine percent of chickens were positive for campylobacters, with an isolation rate of 93.5% for broilers and 56.3% for layers, the difference being significant. Sixty-four pure cultures comprising 39 Campylobacter coli, 21 Campylobacter jejuni, and 4 Campyilobacter lari isolates were tested for their resistance against 7 antibiotics using the E-test. None of the isolates were resistant to chloramphenicol and gentamicin. Resistance rates to other drugs were: ampicillin, 9.4%; ciprofloxacin, 12.5%; erythromycin, 3.1%; metronidazole, 9.4%, and tetracycline, 50% with MICs of >or=256 microg/mL for tetracycline. There were no significant differences in resistance rates between C. coli and C. jejuni. Multiple resistance to >or=2 drugs was seen in 15.6% of total isolates. All C. lari isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, and 3 of 4 isolates had multiple drug resistance. Overall, erythromycin, which is the drug of choice for treatment of Campylobacter infections in humans, is effective in vitro against 97% of chicken isolates in Grenada.     

Fecal shedding and antimicrobial susceptibility of selected bacterial pathogens and a survey of intestinal parasites in free-living waterfowl

Free-living waterfowl residing in metropolitan parks in central Ohio were surveyed for the fecal shedding and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Pasteurella multocida. In addition, a survey for intestinal parasites was also conducted in these same waterfowl to determine parasite burdens in free-living waterfowl. Prevalences of 67%, 50%, and 0.2% of E. coli, C. jejuni, and Salmonella spp., respectively, were observed for all waterfowl species. Pasteurella multocida was not isolated from the sampled population. Salmonella java was isolated from one mallard duck. Statistically, there was a significantly higher E. coli isolation rate for mallard ducks than for Canada geese, but no difference was observed for C. jejuni isolation rates between waterfowl species. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted via the disk diffusion method and multidrug resistance was exhibited for penicillin G, lincomycin, vancomycin, erythromycin, and bacitracin. In addition, the prevalence of endoparasites in these sampled waterfowl ranged from 5% to 66%. Protozoan oocysts were most prevalent followed by nematode ova. No trematode or cestode ovum was recovered from this sampled population.     

Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of thermotolerant Campylobacter strains isolated from food animals in Ethiopia

Thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. are frequent causes of diarrhoea in humans worldwide mostly originating from poultry. It has been suggested that extensive veterinary use of antibiotics is largely responsible for resistance in human isolates. During a 4-month period from January to April 2004, 192 Campylobacter spp. were isolated from fecal samples of 485 healthy food animals. The in vitro susceptibility to 12 antibiotics was determined by the agar disk diffusion method. Among the 192 Campylobacter spp. isolated, 135 (70.3%) were identified to be C. jejuni, 51 (26.6%) were C. coli and 6 (3.1%) were C. lari. C. jejuni was the most prevalent species in chickens (80.8%) versus 16.2% C. coli and 3.0% C. lari. All isolates found in pigs were C. coli. All strains were sensitive to chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin and all were resistant to cephalothin. More than 90% of the strains were sensitive to clindamycin, erythromycin, gentamicin, nalidixic acid, norfloxacin, streptomycin and tetracycline. Resistance was found against ampicillin in 20% and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole in 37.5%. Resistance was not statistically different among C. jejuni, C. coli and C. lari (p>0.05). Multidrug resistance to two or more drugs was detected in 14.5% of strains. In conclusion, the study showed that antimicrobial resistance is found only at relatively low frequencies for most antimicrobial agents tested except for ampicillin and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole. The low percentages of resistance to most antimicrobial agents tested in this study may be the result of low/no usage of these agents as a growth promoters or treatment in the Ethiopian animal farm setting. The detection of multidrug resistant isolates may pose a threat to humans and further limits therapeutic options.     

Efficacy of a combination febantel-praziquantel-pyrantel product, with or without vaccination with a commercial Giardia vaccine, for treatment of dogs with naturally occurring giardiasis

OBJECTIVE: To determine efficacy of treatment with a combination febantel-praziquantel-pyrantel product, with or without vaccination with a commercial Giardia vaccine, in dogs with naturally occurring giardiasis. DESIGN: Prospective trial. ANIMALS: 16 Beagles naturally infected with Giardia duodenalis. PROCEDURES: During phase 1, 6 dogs were treated with the parasiticide for 3 days (4 were also vaccinated). Four weeks later, all 6 dogs were treated with the parasiticide again for 5 days and were bathed and moved to clean cages after the last treatment (phase 2). Nine dogs were treated with the parasiticide for 3 (n = 4) or 5 (5) days and bathed and moved to clean cages after the last treatment (phase 3). Fecal samples were collected twice weekly for 24 days after treatment and tested for cysts with a quantitative zinc sulfate flotation technique and for Giardia antigen with an immunoassay. RESULTS: Dogs in phase 1 were all shedding cysts again by day 24. In phase 2, only 1 dog shed cysts after treatment, and shedding was transient (day 17). In phase 3, neither cysts nor antigen was detected in fecal samples from 2 of 4 dogs treated for 3 days and 4 of 5 dogs treated for 5 days. In 18 of 57 (31.6%) fecal samples, cysts were seen, but results of the immunoassay were negative. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that when a combination febantel-praziquantel-pyrantel product is used to treat dogs with giardiasis, bathing and changing the environment after treatment may be more important in preventing recurrence than duration of treatment.     

Role of litter in the transmission of Campylobacter jejuni

Autoclaved or non-autoclaved used broiler litter that was experimentally contaminated with Campylobacter jejuni was capable of infecting specific-pathogen-free chicks maintained in modified Horsfall isolators. Artificially infected chicks became fecal shedders of C. jejuni, resulting in contamination of both autoclaved and non-autoclaved used broiler litter. Fecal shedding of C. jejuni by litter-reared, artificially infected chicks persisted for at least 63 days after chicks were transferred to an isolation unit with a wire floor, which prevented coprophagy. C. jejuni was consistently recovered from water and litter in units housing directly and indirectly infected birds, indicating environmental contamination. These experiments demonstrate the potential role of litter in the perpetuation and transmission of C. jejuni infection in commercial chickens.     

Antimicrobial resistance of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. isolated from cattle in Poland

Campylobacter species are among the most frequently identified bacterial causes of human gastroenteritis. Because Campylobacter spp. harbored by cattle can be transmitted to humans, in this study we investigated antimicrobial resistance of thermophilic Campylobacter isolated from cows. Our study included 150 strains of Campylobacter (143 strains of C. jejuni and 7 strains of C. coli) isolated from cows in South-Western Poland. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) to ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, gentamicin and tetracycline were determined using the agar dilution methodology. All strains of C. coli were susceptible to all four drugs studied. The most frequently detected resistance of C. jejuni was to ciprofloxacin (26 strains 18.2%). Resistance to tetracycline was observed in 5 strains (3.5%). All strains of C. jejuni were susceptible to erythromycin and gentamicin.     

Effect of coated and non-coated fatty acid supplementation on broiler chickens experimentally infected with Campylobacter jejuni

The aim of this study was to examine whether and to what extent the supplementation of feed with a coated or non-coated mixture of fatty acids (caprylic and capric acid) affects broiler chickens experimentally infected with Campylobacter jejuni. The study was carried out using 48 chickens divided into four experimental groups. Throughout the whole rearing period (1-42 days), the chickens were fed a diet supplemented with 0.25% caprylic and capric acid (1:1), coated or non-coated. At the age of 14 and 28 days, chickens were orally challenged with C. jejuni. At regular time intervals post-inoculation, the shedding of C. jejuni was assayed using quantitative real-time PCR. Both supplements significantly decreased faecal C. jejuni counts by 1.2-4.1 log(10) CFU/g 4 days post-inoculation; after this time period, the effect of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) was less pronounced or absent. Campylobacter jejuni counts in excreta samples were significantly lower in chickens fed coated MCFA than in those fed non-coated MCFA. No effect of MCFA on feed intake or growth of chickens was observed. In conclusion, (i) MCFA are active against C. jejuni and (ii) the encapsulation enhanced the efficacy of the acids. These results allow the recommendation of using MCFA as feed additives in chickens, preferably 2-3 days before slaughter.     

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter in raw milk in the selected areas of Poland

During the recent years, an immense increase in the number of food poisoning cases in people caused by Campylobacter (C.) species has occurred. Raw milk, next to poultry meat, is considered the most frequent cause of food poisoning in people caused by the subject bacteria, although it is not always possible to isolate Campylobacter cells from the incriminated milk. Most probably this difficulty is caused by low concentration of the pathogen in milk at the level of 2/3 cells/ml although even such low concentration represents risk to human health. The present study was aimed at determining the occurence of Campylobacter bacteria in milk originating from selected regions of Poland. The isolation method applied in this work was effective in recovering as few as 0.1 cell of Campylobacter per g of food. Among 150 bulk milk samples tested, Campylobacter spp. was isolated from 7 (4.6%) ones. The biochemical identification of the isolated strains conducted by means of conventional biochemical tests as well as by applying the API - Campy tests revealed that all the isolates belonged to the C. jejuni species. Determination of resistance to antibiotics was performed by means of the diffusion disks method for the following antibiotics: gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, doxycyclin and tetracycline. Among 7 isolates tested, all were susceptible to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin and gentamicin, 28.5% to doxycyclin and 14.2% to tetracycline and ciprofloxacin.     

Salmonellae and Campylobacters in Household and Stray Dogs in Northern Taiwan

Rectal swabs were collected from 437 household and 491 stray dogs in northern Taiwan from May 2003 to June 2005 to investigate the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibilities of salmonellae and campylobacters. The results revealed that 2.1% of household dogs and 6.3% of stray dogs were positive for salmonellae, with Salmonella Duesseldorf being the most dominant serotype in both. Additionally, 2.7% of the household dogs and 23.8% of the stray dogs were positive for campylobacters. Campylobacter jejuni was the most prevalent species (86.8%), followed by C. upsaliensis (9.3%) and C. coli (3.9%). Both salmonella and campylobacter isolation rates from the stray dogs were significantly higher than those from the household dogs (p < 0.01). The susceptibility of 33 C. jejuni isolates to eight antimicrobials was studied by the E-test. A high rate of resistance was observed to azithromycin (93.9%), clindamycin (87.9%), erythromycin (81.8%), tetracycline (78.8%), chloramphenicol (69.7%), nalidixic acid (51.5%), gentamicin (33.3%), and ciprofloxacin (18.2%). The susceptibility of 40 Salmonella isolates to 15 antimicrobials was also studied by the disc-diffusion method. All the Salmonella isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone. Resistance was observed most frequently to tetracycline (77.5%), chloramphenicol (52.5%), and ampicillin (50%).     

Phage therapy reduces Campylobacter jejuni colonization in broilers

The effect of phage therapy in the control of Campylobacter jejuni colonization in young broilers, either as a preventive or a therapeutic measure, was tested. A prevention group was infected with C. jejuni at day 4 of a 10-day phage treatment. A therapeutic group was phage treated for 6 days, starting 5 days after C. jejuni colonization of the broilers had been established. Treatment was monitored by enumerating Campylobacter colony forming units (CFU) and phage plaque forming units (PFU) from caecal content. Counts were compared with control birds not receiving phage therapy. A clear 3 log decline in C. jejuni counts was initially observed in the therapeutic group, however, after 5 days bacterial counts stabilized at a level 1 log lower than that of the control group. Colonization of C. jejuni in the prevention group was delayed by the treatment and after an initial 2 log reduction, colonization stabilized within a week at levels comparable to the therapeutic group. The CFU and PFU counts displayed opposing highs and lows over time, indicative of alternating shifts in amplification of bacteria and phages. There were no adverse health effects from the phage treatment. Two different phages were combined as therapeutic treatment of Campylobacter positive chickens challenged at the age approaching broiler harvest. This again resulted in a significant decrease in Campylobacter colonization. We conclude that phage treatment is a promising alternative for reducing C. jejuni colonization in broilers.     

Effects of nitroscanate on adult Taenia pisiformis in dogs with experimentally induced infections.

Twenty-four specific-pathogen-free Beagles were each given 50 cysticerci of Taenia pisiformis that had been harvested from experimentally infected rabbits. Quantitative fecal egg counts and fecal screening for recovery of passed segments were performed on postinoculation days 56 through 70. Twenty-three of 24 dogs fed cysticerci developed patent infections. The 23 dogs with patent infections were assigned to 1 of 2 groups and treated with nitroscanate or a placebo 60 days after inoculation. Egg counts in the treated dogs had markedly decreased by the second day after treatment, and by the sixth day after treatment, segments were not found in the feces of any of the treated animals. The control dogs continued to pass eggs and segments in their feces throughout the 9 days after treatment. The dogs were euthanatized and necropsied 70 days after being inoculated. At necropsy, the mean number of scolices recovered from control dogs was 24.6, the mean number of scolices recovered from treated dogs was 0.25. Worms recovered from the control dogs were intact, gravid cestodes. Efficacy of treatment with nitroscanate at a mean dosage of 56 mg/kg of body weight was 98.9%.     

Prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni and its resistance to antibiotics in poultry in the Czech Republic

Thermotolerant Campylobacter spp., in particular Campylobacter jejuni, are among the most frequently identified pathogens, found to be causing human gastrointestinal infections in Europe, with the Czech Republic being no exception. The presented work aimed at assessing results of the first nationwide monitoring of prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Campylobacter spp. in broiler flocks in the Czech Republic, including a comparison of antibiotic resistance of C. jejuni isolates collected from poultry and the human community. The monitoring was carried out in poultry slaughterhouses in 2006 and 2007. From broilers, cloacal swabs were collected and examined. The human isolates of C. jejuni were acquired from rectal swabs in community patients with diarrhoeal diseases. Suspected isolates of both animal and human origin were confirmed by the PCR methods. Antibiotic resistance to selected anti-microbial agents was tested by the microdilution method. In the monitored period, the prevalence of thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. in broilers in the Czech Republic reached almost 50%. In 2006, C. jejuni was detected in 46% and Campylobacter coli in 3% of the tested samples. In 2007, C. jejuni was found in 43% and C. coli in 2% of the samples. The results of anti-microbial susceptibility testing of C. jejuni showed higher resistance in animals when compared with humans. The only exception was tetracycline with higher resistance in isolates of human origin. The highest resistance detected was to quinolone antibiotics. Resistance to oxolinic acid was 77% in animal and 60% in human isolates, to ciprofloxacin 72% in isolates from poultry and 55% in those from humans. In ampicillin, 26% of poultry isolates and 16% of human isolates were resistant. Moreover, 9% of animal isolates demonstrated resistance to streptomycin, undetected in human isolates. In erythromycin, resistance was found in 6% of poultry and 1% of human isolates.     

空肠弯曲杆菌耐药性及其主要相关基因初步分析

从307份鸡盲肠内容物样品中分离到47株空肠弯曲杆菌,并测定这些空肠弯曲杆菌耐药性,结果显示对喹诺酮类药(环丙沙星)耐药性为31.9%;对氨苄青霉素,克林霉素和红霉素耐药性较高,分别达到85.1%、83.0%和83.0%;而对痢特灵和庆大霉素则较为敏感,敏感度分别为85.1%和74.5%。有89.4%的菌株显示多重耐药性。利用MAMAPCR技术,对获得的47株空肠弯曲杆菌进行检测,结果显示对环丙沙星耐药的15株空肠弯曲杆菌均检测出其在gyrA基因257位发生点突变,30株对喹诺酮药物敏感的菌株均未检出。另外2株对环丙沙星耐药的菌株,有1株检测出点突变。     

Campylobacter in the dog: a clinical and experimental study

Faecal samples from 54 dogs with diarrhoea and 54 control dogs were cultured for Campylobacter, Salmonella and Yersinia species and controlled for enteric viruses. The campylobacter were identified as either C jejuni/coli or C upsaliensis. In the diarrhoeic group 16 dogs (29.6 per cent) were positive for campylobacter, 10 C upsaliensis and six C jejuni/coli. Concomitant infection with parvovirus was evident in six of the dogs with diarrhoea and campylobacter-positive faecal cultures. In the control group 13 dogs (24.1 per cent) were positive for campylobacter; three of the isolates were C upsaliensis and six C jejuni/coli. Four isolates could not be identified. The most prominent clinical findings in naturally occurring cases were an acute onset of vomiting (12 of 16), diarrhoea (16 of 16) which was often haemorrhagic (nine of 16) and a raised rectal temperature. Dogs were infected experimentally with both C jejuni (three dogs) and C upsaliensis (three dogs). The challenge strains could be identified in faecal samples from all the dogs, but clinical signs of diarrhoea were seen in only one dog infected with C jejuni. Soft faeces was passed by one dog infected with C upsaliensis. It is concluded that C jejuni/coli or C upsaliensis are either primary pathogens or, after predisposing factors such as virus infections, act as secondary pathogens. It also seems probable that Campylobacter species are present in the intestinal flora of the normal dog.     

The effects of some technologies on survival of Campylobacter jejuni in food of animal origin]

The effects of some technologies (cooling, freezing, salting, packaging, fermentation, cold smoking, heat treatment) on the survival of Campylobacter jejuni were investigated. The different technological procedures can be considered as barriers influencing to a certain degree the survival of C. jejuni. The low value aw on the surface of chilled meat and oxygen presence reduce the occurrence of C. jejuni, but the low storage temperature prolongs the survival of C. jejuni to two days. In chilled poultry the high relative water content is combined with the low temperature and C. jejuni is able to survive even for five days. In the freezing process the low temperature has only partial effects on C. jejuni devitalization; C. jejuni can survive in this case for two to eight weeks. The survival of C. jejuni is prolonged considerably by packaging: six to seven days in polyethylene sheet, 10 days in vacuum packing and 10 to 13 days in gas packing (80% N2 and 20% CO2). NaCl can partly devitalize C. jejuni, and in comminuted meant it survives for five to seven days. In the non-precooked meat products (TNMV) and with the minimally fortnight time of ripening a number of barriers play their role which are destroying C. jejuni (aw, pH, antagonistic microflora). Due to these barriers C. jejuni was isolated in these products maximally for seven days. In this type of products with short durability (two to three days) the action of barriers is limited, that means C. jejuni could be demonstrated for two to six days.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Campylobacter spp. in dogs and cats in Switzerland: risk factor analysis and molecular characterization with AFLP

A 1-year cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence, risk factors for carriage, and genetic diversity of Campylobacter spp. in healthy dogs and cats in Switzerland. Veterinary practitioners collected samples from 1268 animals (all ages) presented for vaccination. The prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in 634 dogs and 596 cats that were eligible for the study was 41.2% (confidence interval 95%: 37.3-45.1%) and 41.9% (CI 95%: 37.9-46%), respectively. Risk factors identified for carriage of Campylobacter jejuni were found to be different from risk factors for C. upsaliensis/C. helveticus. Young animals (< or =3 years) had significantly higher odds of carrying C. upsaliensis/C. helveticus than older animals (OR 1.8-3.3), whereas for C. jejuni carriage, the age was not a risk factor. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) genotyping revealed heterogeneity among C. jejuni strains and was found to clearly separate C. helveticus from C. upsaliensis. It was shown that cats more often carry C. helveticus with an estimated prevalence of 28.2%, whereas dogs mainly are carrying C. upsaliensis.     

Infectious bursal disease virus-induced immunosuppression exacerbates Campylobacter jejuni colonization and shedding in chickens

Campylobacter jejuni is the leading cause of food-borne bacterial gastroenteritis in humans in the United States. Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) causes an immunosuppressive disease in young chickens. To analyze a possible role of IBDV-induced immunosuppression in colonization and shedding of C. jejuni, two experiments were conducted. In both experiments, group 1 consisted of noninoculated control chickens, groups 2 and 3 were inoculated with varying doses of C. jejuni, and groups 4 and 5 were inoculated initially with IBDV followed by doses of C. jejuni similar to groups 2 and 3. Campylobacter jejuni was recovered from the cloaca and cecum, but not the small intestines, from all chickens in groups 2 and 3. In groups 4 and 5, C. jejuni was recovered from the small intestines, cecum, and cloaca from all chickens. The amount (colony-forming units/sample) of C. jejuni recovered from chickens in groups 4 and 5 was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than the amount recovered from chickens in groups 2 and 3; and C. jejuni was also present sooner in these groups than in groups 2 and 3. Bursa samples from chickens in groups 4 and 5 were significantly smaller (P < 0.05) than in the other groups. Additionally, real-time polymerase chain reaction results for IBDV were positive in groups 4 and 5 and negative in all other groups. This study indicated that IBDV infection exacerbated colonization and shedding of C. jejuni, presumably through the immune suppression this virus causes in chickens. It highlights the need for further investigation into the role of immunosuppression in preharvest control strategies for food-borne disease-causing agents.     

Occurrence and significance of different Campylobacter types in domestic animals in Hungary

Experiences, including results of original experimental work on Campylobacter fetus, C. jejuni and C. coli induced diseases of cattle, sheep, dogs, rabbits poultry and men in Hungary are reviewed. Out of 31 cases of abortion in cows 29 (93.5%) were causes by C. fetus subsp. venerealis and only one case each (3.2%) by C. fetus subsp. fetus and C. jejuni, respectively. Out of the 29 strains of C. fetus subsp. venerealis, 26 belonged to serogroup 01 (A) and only 3 to serogroup 02 (B). Campylobacter abortions in sheep flocks were caused in 18 cases (78.3%) by C. fetus subsp. fetus and in 5 cases (21.7%) by C. jejuni. The latter strains belonged to Penner's serogroup 1 (6 strains), 5 (4 strains) and 8 (5 strains), respectively. In scouring dogs 12.7% of the cases were caused by C. jejuni. The same pathogen caused diarrhoea also in young rabbits. Isolated strains belonged to serogroup 2. In cases of Campylobacter hepatitis of laying hens, egg production has been reduced by 8 to 15% for 2 to 3 weeks. Row poultry meat represents often the source of infection for men. The 32 strains of C. jejuni isolated from faecal samples of men affected with diarrhoea belonged to 12 serogroups.