Nationwide Stepwise Emergence and Evolution of Multidrug-Resistant Campylobacter jejuni Sequence Type 5136, United Kingdom

We examined whole-genome-sequenced Campylobacter jejuni/and C. coli from 2012-2015 isolated from birds and human stool samples in North East Scotland for the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes. We found that sequence type (ST) 5136 (clonal complex 464) was the most prevalent multidrug-resistant strain of C. jejuni exclusively associated with poultry host reservoirs and recovered from human cases of campylobacteriosis. Tetracycline resistance in ST5136 isolates was due to a tet(O/32/O) mosaic gene, ampicillin resistance was conferred by G -> T transversion in the -10 promoter region of bla(OXA-193), fluoroquinolone resistance was due to C257T change in gyrA, and aminoglycoside resistance was conferred by aac. Whole-genome analysis showed that the strain ST5136 evolved from ST464. The nationwide emergence of ST5136 was probably due to stepwise acquisition of antimicrobial resistance genes selected by high use of beta-lactam, tetracycline, fluoroquinolone, and aminoglycoside classes of drugs in the poultry industry.