Dd. Bang et al., Prevalence of cytolethal distending toxin (cdt) genes and CDT production in Campylobacter spp. isolated from Danish broilers, J MED MICRO, 50(12), 2001, pp. 1087-1094
The pathogenesis of campylobacter infection in man is largely unknown, alth
ough cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) has been incriminated as a virulence
factor. However, little is known about the cdt genes in Campylobacter spp.
isolated from broiler chickens. A total of 350 cloacal swabs was collected
and tested by conventional culture and PCR. Of the 114 Campylobacter isola
tes obtained, 101 (88.6%) were identified as C. jejuni and 13 (11.4%) as C.
coli by conventional methods. cdt genes were detected by PCR in all the is
olates except one C jejuni isolate. Cytotoxic effects were produced in a Ve
ro cell line, by 100 of the C. jejuni isolates. In contrast, 10 C coli isol
ates produced much lower levels of toxin and 3 produced no detectable toxin
. These results confirm the common occurrence of campylobacter infection in
chickens and indicate that cdt genes are commonly present in both C. jejun
i and C. coli isolates from broilers, but that there are distinct differenc
es in CDT production in these two closely related species.