Determinants of Campylobacter species diversity in infants and association with family members, livestock, and household environments in rural Eastern Ethiopia

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dc.citation.issue1
dc.citation.volume17
dc.contributor.authorOjeda A
dc.contributor.authorDeblais L
dc.contributor.authorMummed B
dc.contributor.authorBrhane M
dc.contributor.authorHassen KA
dc.contributor.authorAhmedo BU
dc.contributor.authorWeldesenbet YD
dc.contributor.authorChen D
dc.contributor.authorLi X
dc.contributor.authorSaleem C
dc.contributor.authorManary MJ
dc.contributor.authorRoesch LFW
dc.contributor.authorMcKune SL
dc.contributor.authorHavelaar AH
dc.contributor.authorRajashekara G
dc.contributor.authorCAGED Research Team
dc.date.accessioned2025-08-25T02:29:32Z
dc.date.available2025-08-25T02:29:32Z
dc.date.issued2025-12-01
dc.description.abstractBackground: Campylobacter infections pose a significant challenge in low- and middle-income countries, contributing to child mortality. Campylobacter is linked to acute gastrointestinal illness and severe long-term consequences, including environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) and stunting. In 2018, our cross-sectional study in Ethiopia detected Campylobacter in 88% of stools from children aged 12–15 months, with an average of 11 species per stool using meta-total RNA sequencing. Building on these findings, we conducted a longitudinal study (December 2020–June 2022) to investigate Campylobacter colonization of infants and identify reservoirs and risk factors in rural eastern Ethiopia. Results: After a preliminary screening of 15 Campylobacter species using species-specific quantitative PCR, we analyzed four target species in 2045 samples from infants (first month to just one year of life) and biannual samples from mothers, siblings, and livestock (goats, cattle, sheep, and chickens). Candidatus C. infans (41%), C. jejuni (26%), and C. upsaliensis (13%) were identified as the predominant in the infant gut. Colonization of C. infans and C.jejuni increased (C. infans: 0.85%, C. jejuni-0.98% increase/ day in the odds of colonization) and abundance (P = 0.027, 0.024) with age. Enteric symptoms were strongly associated with C. infans (diarrhea: OR = 2.02 [95%CI: 35%,100%]; fever: OR = 1.62 [95%CI: 14%, 83%]) and C. jejuni (diarrhea: OR = 2.29 [95%CI: 46%,100%], fever: OR = 2.53 [95%CI: 56%,100%]). Based on linear mixed models, we found elevated cumulative loads of C. infans load in infants (especially females OR = 1.5 [95%CI: 10%, 67%]), consuming raw milk (OR = 2.3 [95%CI: 24%,100%]) or those exposed to areas contaminated with animal droppings (OR = 1.6 [95%CI: 7%,93%]), while C. jejuni cumulative loads were higher in infants ingesting soil or animal feces (OR = 2.2 [95%CI: 23%,100%]). C. infans was also prevalent in siblings (56%) and mothers (45%), whereas C. jejuni was common in chickens (38%) and small ruminants (goats 27%, sheep 21%). Conclusions: Campylobacter was highly prevalent in rural Ethiopian infants. C. infans was primarily associated with human hosts, and C. jejuni was mainly linked to zoonotic sources. Our findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions addressing environmental, dietary, and behavioral factors to reduce Campylobacter transmission in resource-limited settings.
dc.description.confidentialfalse
dc.edition.editionDecember 2025
dc.identifier.citationOjeda A, Deblais L, Mummed B, Brhane M, Hassen KA, Ahmedo BU, Weldesenbet YD, Chen D, Li X, Saleem C, Manary MJ, Roesch LFW, McKune SL, Havelaar AH, Rajashekara G, Mekuria ZH, Yang Y, Gebreyes WA, Singh N, Shaikh N, French NP, Usmail MM, Dawid MM, Bhrane M, Roba KT, Mechlowitz K, Umer KA, Hassen JY, Amin JK, Usmane IA, Ahmed IA, Yimer G, Yusuf EA, Hassen BM, Ibrahim AM, Seran AJ. (2025). Determinants of Campylobacter species diversity in infants and association with family members, livestock, and household environments in rural Eastern Ethiopia. Gut Pathogens. 17. 1.
dc.identifier.doi10.1186/s13099-025-00725-0
dc.identifier.eissn1757-4749
dc.identifier.elements-typejournal-article
dc.identifier.issn1757-4749
dc.identifier.number51
dc.identifier.piis13099-025-00725-0
dc.identifier.urihttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/73409
dc.languageEnglish
dc.publisherBioMed Central Ltd
dc.publisher.urihttps://gutpathogens.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13099-025-00725-0
dc.relation.isPartOfGut Pathogens
dc.rights(c) 2025 The Author/s
dc.rightsCC BY 4.0
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectCampylobacter
dc.subjectC infans
dc.subjectC jejuni
dc.subjectC upsaliensis
dc.subjectqPCR
dc.subjectLongitudinal study
dc.subjectEastern Ethiopia
dc.subjectInfant stool
dc.subjectHousehold determinants
dc.subjectEnvironmental enteric dysfunction (EED)
dc.titleDeterminants of Campylobacter species diversity in infants and association with family members, livestock, and household environments in rural Eastern Ethiopia
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.elements-id502793
pubs.organisational-groupOther
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