Campylobacter lari: genotype and antibiotic resistance of isolates from cattle, wildlife and water in an area of mixed dairy farmland in the United Kingdom

Campylobacter lari is a rare human pathogen most commonly associated with birds and shellfish. Little information has been published regarding its prevalence in other environments, or on its potential role as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance. In this study, we characterized 109 C. lari isolated from a range of hosts using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of macro-restricted chromosomal DNA, and by determining their susceptibility to a panel of four antibiotics. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis showed C. lari to be genetically diverse, particularly in isolates from wild birds and environmental water. The most common composite macro-restriction profile (cMRP) was found in multiple hosts (cattle, badgers, wild birds and rabbits), and seven other cMRPs were recovered from more than one host. All isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin. Resistance to erythromycin and ampicillin was uncommon, but was observed in isolates from wild birds, cattle, wild mammals and water samples. The presence of the same cMRP in multiple hosts provides further evidence of transmission between livestock, wildlife and the environment, or for a common source of infection.