Tschritter, D.

Modeling human exposure to fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter
Tschritter, D, Carson, C., Murphy, C.P., Smith, B., Otten, A., Reid-Smith, R.J., Li, Q., Ashbolt N.J., Otto S.J.G.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been an emerging public health issue since the 1940s and has been identified by the World Health Organization as one of the top threats to health since 2014. A critical task in combating the threat of AMR is quantifying its transmission pathways and evaluating interventions. Further, infection with fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter results in exacerbated symptomatology and increased risk of mortality. The objective of this study is to conduct an exposure assessment and quantify the Canadian public's exposure to fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter from retail chicken.

To model this exposure, we will quantify the presence of fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter spp. at key nodes along the pathway of chicken production. Bacterial samples for susceptibility testing are collected for surveillance and research at several points along the production chain, including abattoirs, processing, and retail. These data will be used to build stochastic risk models consisting of modules representing the sampling nodes and their associated risk factors. This allows for the construction of distributions representing the probability for chicken meat contamination at purchase. Through this approach, we will be able to assess the influence of each node on the probability of human exposure to viable, fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter.

This study will provide a comprehensive description of the probability of exposure to fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter by estimating its abundance throughout the production cycle. Influential data gaps in surveillance and research will be identified, and our understanding of the characteristics and transmission dynamics of resistant Campylobacter via retail chicken exposure will be improved.

The findings will identify risk management options to limit the dissemination of AMR through chicken products along the supply chain. Additionally, this work contributes to reducing the risk of infection with resistant foodborne pathogens.