Risk factors for infection withCampylobacter jejuni flaAgenotypes

Abstract

SUMMARYWe aimed to exploreCampylobactergenotype-specific risk factors in Australia. Isolates collected prospectively from cases recruited into a case-control study were genotyped usingflaArestriction fragment-length polymorphism typing (flaAgenotyping). Exposure information for cases and controls was collected by telephone interview. Risk factors were examined for majorflaAgenotypes using logistic and multinomial regression. FiveflaAgenotypes accounted for 325 of 590 (55%) cases – flaA-6b (n=129),flaA-6 (n=70),flaA-10 (n=48),flaA-2 (n=43),flaA-131 (n=35). In Australia, infections due toflaA-10 andflaA-2 were found to be significantly associated with eating non-poultry meat (beef and ham, respectively) in both case-control and inter-genotype comparisons. All major genotypes apart fromflaA-10 were associated with chicken consumption in the case-control comparisons. Based on several clinical criteria, infections due toflaA-2 were more severe than those due to other genotypes. Thus genotype analysis may reveal genotype-specific niches and differences in virulence and transmission routes.