Characterisation of Campylobacters from Malaysia

Eight-five clinical and 15 poultry isolates of Campylobacter species were characterised by biotyping, serotyping and by using a radiolabelled DNA probe. A total of 80% of the isolates from both sources were identified as C. jejuni. Also amongst the clinical strains were 5 c. jejuni subsp. doylei, 7 C. coli, 3 C. lari and 8 were untypable. The similarity in the distribution of C. jejuni in the clinical and poultry isolates adds credibility to published reports of chickens being the most common source of Campylobacter infections. Although the gold standard for identification of C. jejuni is the DNA probe, serotyping is more discriminating while biotyping is the most feasible method in most laboratories.