Edible plant biota, particularly raw fruits and vegetables, are essential for nutrition but serve as potential vehicles for foodborne pathogens. Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of human bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, yet data on its contamination levels and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profile in plant-based food from Nigerian markets remain limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and characterize the antimicrobial resistance profile of Campylobacter jejuni isolated from raw fruits and vegetables sold in Kpiri-Kpiri Market, Abakaliki Metropolis, Nigeria.
Methods: A total of 60 samples comprising 40 vegetables and 20 fruits were collected from Kpiri-Kpiri Market. Bacterial enumeration was performed using standard pour plate methods. Campylobacter species were isolated using selective media and identified via standard morphological and biochemical techniques, including the hippurate hydrolysis test for presumptive identification of C. jejuni. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing against ten antibiotics was conducted using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method, and the Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) index was calculated.
Results: High contamination levels were observed across all samples, with bacterial loads ranging from 6.90 × 10⁴ to 1.94 × 10⁵ CFU/mL. Of the 60 samples analyzed, Campylobacter species were isolated from 32 samples (53.3%). Among these, Campylobacter jejuni was presumptively identified in 8 isolates (25.0% of Campylobacter-positive samples), representing 13.3% of the total samples analyzed. The 8 C. jejuni isolates were obtained from pumpkin leaf (3), cabbage (1), African pear (1), fresh tomato (1), cucumber (1), and watermelon (1). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that C. jejuni isolates from vegetables (n=7) exhibited 100% resistance to Ceftazidime, Cefotaxime, Cefoxitin, Meropenem, and Tetracycline, while maintaining 100% susceptibility to Ciprofloxacin and Gentamicin. Similarly, C. jejuni isolates from fruits (n=1) demonstrated 100% resistance to Ceftazidime, Cefotaxime, Cefoxitin, and Tetracycline, with 100% susceptibility to Ciprofloxacin and Gentamicin. The MAR values recorded for vegetable and fruit isolates stood at 0.61 and 0.50, respectively, both markedly above the 0.2 threshold considered indicative of high risk.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that edible plant biota sold in Kpiri-Kpiri Market, Abakaliki Metropolis, are significantly contaminated with multidrug-resistant Campylobacter jejuni. The presence of such strains on fresh produce intended for raw consumption represents a serious public health risk requiring urgent intervention.