Table 2.
Surveillance studies investigating squamates as a potential risk for human campylobacteriosis.
| Country | Findings | Campylobacter spp. | Squamate | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | 179 reptile fecal samples obtained from chelonians, lizards and snakes. 12/179 (6.7%) were positive for Campylobacter spp.; 10/103 (9.7%) chelonians; 1/56 (1.7%) lizards and 1/20 (5%) of snakes were positive for C. fetus subsp. fetus. |
C. fetus subsp. fetus | Captive and wild lizards and snakes | Only the captive reptiles’ fecal samples tested positive for C. fetus. There were no positive isolates from the 23 reptiles collected from the wild fields. | [32] |
| Taiwan | Complete genome sequence of C. fetus subsp. testudinum strain pet-3 was isolated from a lizard | C. fetus subsp. testudinum strain pet-3 | Lizard (Hydrosaurus pustulatus) |
Isolated from humans, lizards, and turtles | [41] |
| USA | Polyphasic study to determine taxonomy of 13 C. fetus-like strains using MALDI-TOF MS yielded a novel Campylobacter fetus subsp. testudinum subsp. nov. | Five reptile C. fetus-like strains and eight C. fetus strains isolated from humans | Five reptiles | The 13 strains are closely related to C. fetus and they had multiple phenotypic biomarkers differentiating them from known C. fetus subspecies | [49] |
| Netherlands | C. iguaniorum is genetically related but distinct from C. fetus and C. hyointestinalis | C. iguaniorum | Bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) | C. iguaniorum isolated from a lizard. First whole genome sequence of C. iguaniorum was established. | [40] |
| Australia | 33% (17/51) of lizards’ feces collected from central Australia tested positive for C. jejuni by quantitative PCR | Campylobacter jejuni | 46 wild lizards (unknown); five captive lizards (Pogona vitticeps and Rhynchoedura ornate) | 3/5 (60%) of captive lizards; 14/46 (30%) wild lizard fecal samples were positive for C. jejuni. | [34] |
| Netherlands | Initial PCR and 16S rRNA showed the pathogens were most closely related to C. fetus and C. hyointestinalis. However, a polyphasic study involving characterization by 16S rRNA, atpA and MALDI-TOF MS showed divergence from all other known Campylobacter species. | C. iguaniorum subsp. nov | Five strains isolated from lizards and chelonians | Pathogen isolated from reptiles. Growth of the strains at ambient temperature may be an adaptation to their reptilian hosts which are identified as lizards and chelonians. | [42] |
| Netherlands | Campylobacter spp. through PCR as follows; 38% (62/163) in lizards, 32% (32/100) in snakes. Using culture; 3% (3/100) in snakes, and in 11% (18/163) lizards. |
C. iguaniorum, C. fetus subsp. testudinum and C. hyointestinalis |
Lizards (Pogona henrilawsonii, Sauromalus ater, Hemitheconyx caudicinctus) and snakes. | Lizards and snakes carry one or more of the intestinal epsilonproteobacteria. Presence of intestinal Campylobacter spp. was higher in lizards than in snakes. | [43] |
| Netherlands | Despite sharing the same host, no recent recombination was detected when genome comparison of C. iguaniorum and closely related C. fetus was done. Homology was higher between C. iguaniorum and C. fetus subsp. testudinum than between C. iguaniorum and mammalian C. fetus (C. fetus subsp. fetus & C. fetus subsp. venerealis). |
C. iguaniorum | Bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) and green iguana (Iguana iguana) | Primary reservoir reported to be reptiles, chelonians and lizards. C. iguaniorum strain 1485E and 2463D isolated from bearded dragon and green iguana respectively were genomically compared with reptilian C. fetus subsp. testudinum. | [39] |