Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Campylobacter jejuni isolated from beef and milk in Gondar town, Amhara region, Ethiopia.

Background Campylobacter jejuni is one of the top five leading causes of foodborne diarrheal zoonotic diseases globally, frequently transmitted through consumption of contaminated foods, such as milk and meat. In Ethiopia, the common practice of consuming raw, unpasteurized milk and undercooked beef, coupled with weak regulations on antibiotic use, increases the risk of foodborne infections and the development of drug resistance. Objective This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Campylobacter jejuni isolated from fresh raw cow’s milk and beef carcass swabs in Gondar town, Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2022 to June 2023. Raw cow milk samples were collected from dairy farms and cafeterias (n = 194), and beef carcass swabs were taken from municipal abattoirs and butcher shops (n = 196) using a stratified multistage sampling method. For identification, biochemical tests, including Hippurate hydrolysis and confirmatory amplification of the 735 bp “hipO” Campylobacter jejuni gene, were performed. Antibiotic resistance patterns were assessed using the Kirby-Bauer disk-diffusion method. Results The study revealed a high prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni , with rates of 19.6% in raw cow’s milk and 21.9% in beef carcass swabs. Notably, the relative prevalence was 20% in cafeteria milk samples and 36.2% in beef swabs collected after evisceration. This research also found substantial antimicrobial resistance: 100% to tetracyclines, 74.1% to polymyxin B, 71.6% to vancomycin, and 61.7% to erythromycin. Additionally, 49.4% of the isolates exhibited multidrug resistance to three different antibiotic groups (tetracyclines, polymyxin-B, and vancomycin), and notably, one isolate showed resistance to all ten tested antibiotics. Conclusion This study identified a higher overall prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni (20.8%) in milk and beef compared to previous reports. It also revealed a concerning level of multidrug resistance to antibiotics that are used in both humans and animals. Therefore, it is recommended to adopt an integrated One Health approach to prevent and control zoonotic pathogens, including Campylobacter jejuni , and the overwhelming challenge of drug resistance.