EPIDEMIOLOGY OF THERMOPHILIC CAMPYLOBACTERS IN WILD MAMMALS AND BIRDS

This study looked for thermophilic Campylobacters in wild animals' faeces. A total of 521 samples were collected from wild animals of different states of India. Samples included 302 ruminants, 166 non-ruminants, and 53 birds. Among ruminants 71.2% belonged to deer family and in non-ruminants, 44.58% felidae and 21.68% canidae family. Among captive birds, 24.52% belonged to Pheasant followed by wild fowl 20.75%. CBA in microaerophilic condition at 420C temperature yielded highest thermophilic Campylobacter (11.90%), followed by mCCDA (10.56%), BA (8.25%), CA (5.76%) and HCCA (4.22%). Multiplex PCR confirmed 11.71% Campylobacter spp., including 58.06% C. jejuni and 40.32% C. Coli. Ruminants (59.68%) exhibited highest incidence, followed by non-ruminants (29.03%) and birds (9.68%). Tryptone soy broth with 20% glycerol and -800C temperature could be better preservation media for Campylobacter isolates upto 180 days. Nucleotide sequence analysis (BLAST) and Phylogenetic tree (MEGA 11) confirmed Campylobacters in wild mammals and birds. Current study found that TaqMan assay (qPCR) could detect even a single template copy of pathogen with specificity for Campylobacter genus.