LAST DECADE MINI-REVIEW OF THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRESSES IN THE MONITORING OF THE OCCURRENCE AND ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY PROFILE OF POULTRY ORIGIN CAMPYLOBACTER SPP WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES

Pathogenic bacteria represent a major cause of foodborne diseases in humans, worldwide, with a negative impact on the social, health, and economic systems. Species of the thermotolerant campylobacters (e.g., Campylobacter jejuni or C. coli) are recognized as the most frequent cause of foodborne gastrointestinal infection, globally. The purpose of this review was to obtain a comprehensive image of the occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of poultry origin Campylobacter spp. in the European Union countries. The summarizing of results of relevant studies, retrieved in the PubMed database and published during the last decade, highlighted a considerable high prevalence (42.6%) of thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. in poultry meat within the European Union countries. The most frequently isolated Campylobacter species was C. jejuni, followed by C. coll. Antimicrobial susceptibility monitoring of the isolated strains pointed out high resistance rates towards enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, and nalidixic acid. The results of the present review offer useful insight for researchers and public health authorities and precious information for future public health actions and strategies.