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Campylobacter jejuni(C. jejuni) is a leading foodborne illness causing bacteria, and poultry is a major reservoir of this pathogen. With the recent increase in broiler production under the “no antibiotics ever” (NAE) system, this study aimed to assess the prevalence, antibiotic resistance, and virulence characteristics of C. jejuniisolated from NAE raised broilers. A total of 270 cloacal swabs were collected from the live-hang areas of 3 commercial processing plants over 9 wk. Each processing plant was visited 3 times at a 1-wk interval, and 30 samples were collected per visit. Among the total 270 cloacal swab samples, C. jejuniwas isolated from 44 (16.3%) samples . Of these isolates, 65.9% possessed toxin-producing genes cdtA, cdtB, and cdtC, and invasion gene ciaB.The prevalence of antibioitc resistance genes aph (3′)-IIIa, erm(B) were 59.1%, and 50%, respectively. Nine (20.45%) C. jejuniisolates were identified as multidrug resistant (MDR), and 18 (40.9%) isolates showed resistance to at least 1 tested antibiotic. The highest resistance was observed against tetracycline (29.5%), followed by nalidixic acid (25%), whereas 22.7% of isolates were resistant to 2 clinically important antibiotics, azithromycin and ciprofloxacin. These results suggest that there ishigh prevalence level of multi-drug resistant C. jejuniwith toxin producing virulence genes in the NAE-raised broilers sampled in this study, indicating the potential for serious human illnesses if transmitted through the food chain.

The formation of Campylobacter jeunibiofilms on processing surfaces is a significant concern in poultry processing, contributing to food safety risks. This study focused on assessing the biofilm forming capabilities of 12 field isolates of C. jejuniof different aerotolerance categories on stainless steel surfaces, a prevalent material in poultry processing environments. Working cultures of each isolate were prepared to approximately 6 log CFU/mL and incubated on stainless steel coupons under microaerobic or aerobic conditions at room temperature or 42°C for 72 h. Biofilm attached cells were enumerated using direct plating and biofilm density was measured using a crystal violet assay by measuring the optical density (OD600) a. Data analysis was conducted using the PROC GLIMMIX procedure in SAS 9.4 with a significance level of 0.05. The study revealed a notable interaction between aerotolerance categories and temperature (P< 0.039) impacting the number of biofilms attached C. jejunicells on stainless steel coupons. All isolates had significantly higher counts when incubated at 42°C compared to room temperature, regardless of oxygen level (P< 0.001). Furthermore, stronger biofilm density was observed at 42°C compared to room temperature, regardless of oxygen level. These findings underscore the influence of temperature on the biofilm forming ability of C. jejuni. The ability of these field isolates to form biofilms under various environmental conditions suggests a heightened potential for surface colonization and increased infection risk in poultry processing facilities.