Prevalence, Virulence Genes, Phylogenetic Analysis, and Antimicrobial Resistance Profile of Helicobacter Species in Chicken Meat and Their Associated Environment at Retail Shops in Egypt

Abstract

<i>Helicobacter pylori</i> (<i>H. pylori</i>) and <i>Helicobacter pullorum</i> (<i>H. pullorum</i>) are frequently reported pathogens in humans and poultry, respectively. Nevertheless, the source of <i>H. pylori</i> is still unclear. This study aimed to detect <i>Helicobacter</i> spp. in chicken carcasses and to assess the antibiogram and the virulence genes of <i>Helicobacter</i> isolates. Three hundred chicken meat samples (100 each of chicken breast, liver, and gizzard), besides 60 swab samples from chicken processing surfaces, were collected from retail shops in Qalyubia Governorate, Egypt, and examined for the prevalence of <i>H. pylori</i> and <i>H. pullorum</i>. The 16S rRNA of three <i>H. pylori</i> and two <i>H. pullorum</i> isolates were sequenced to determine the genetic relationship between these two <i>Helicobacter</i> spp. Of the 300 chicken samples tested, 16 (5.33%) and 14 (4.67%) were positive for <i>H. pylori</i> and <i>H. pullorum</i>, respectively. Multiplex PCR revealed that the virulence genes vacuolating cytotoxin <i>A</i> (<i>vacA</i>)<i>s1</i>, cytotoxin-associated gene A (<i>cagA</i>), and restriction endonuclease-replacing gene A (<i>hrgA</i>) were detected in 66.7%, 77.8%, and 100% of <i>H. pylori</i> strains tested, respectively. <i>H. pylori</i> showed the highest resistance for clarithromycin, while <i>H. pullorum</i> exhibited the highest resistance towards erythromycin and ciprofloxacin. The study concluded that the chicken meat and giblets are potential sources of the virulent and antimicrobial-resistant strains of <i>H. pylori</i> of human origin.