Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Campylobacter bacteria found in dogs and cats in Northern Italy
By Giacomelli, M et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2015·Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, Italy·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Survey of Campylobacter spp. in owned and unowned dogs and cats in Northern Italy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 17% of dogs and 14.7% of cats in Northern Italy tested positive for Campylobacter, a bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal issues in humans. The most common type found was C. jejuni, which was present in over half of the infected dogs and cats. Shelter-housed dogs were at a higher risk of infection compared to household pets. This suggests that pet owners should be aware of the potential for their pets to carry this bacteria and consider improving hygiene practices, especially in shelters, to reduce the risk of transmission to humans.
People also search for: dog diarrhea causes · cat stomach issues · Campylobacter infection in pets · pet hygiene tips · zoonotic diseases in dogs and cats
Abstract
Campylobacteriosis is among the most common bacterial causes of human gastroenteritis worldwide and pet ownership has been identified as a risk factor for Campylobacter infection in humans. Since canine and feline prevalence data are scarce in Italy, the present study was carried out to assess the prevalence, species distribution and risk factors for Campylobacter infection in dogs and cats under different husbandry conditions. Rectal swabs were collected from 171 dogs (household pets, n = 100; shelter-housed dogs, n = 50; dogs from breeding kennels, n = 21) and 102 cats (household pets, n = 52; shelter-housed cats, n = 21; free-roaming cats n = 29) in Northern Italy. Campylobacter was isolated from 17% (n = 29) of dogs and 14.7% (n = 15) of cats. C. jejuni was the most common isolate in both species (Campylobacter spp.-positive dogs, 55.2%; Campylobacter spp.-positive cats, 53.3%), followed by C. upsaliensis (Campylobacter spp.-positive dogs, 27.6%; Campylobacter spp.-positive cats, 40%). Other Campylobacter species were rarely detected, but included C. hyointestinalis subsp. hyointestinalis, C. lari and C. coli in dogs and C. coli and C. helveticus in cats. Among considered variables (sex, age, origin, diarrhoea, season of sampling), origin was identified as a risk factor for dogs, with shelter-housed dogs at higher risk than household dogs (odds ratio, 2.84; 95% CI 1.17, 6.92; P = 0.021). The results of this study, particularly the high prevalence of C. jejuni in Campylobacter-positive animals, demonstrated that household and stray dogs and cats in Northern Italy might pose a zoonotic risk for humans. Moreover, biosecurity measures should be improved in dog shelters.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25951986/