Otherindependent cross-checkabstract checked I-CHK-129 standard review

In Egypt, chicken is a main source of Campylobacter infection

A pilot study revealing host-associated genetic signatures for source attribution of sporadic Campylobacter jejuni infection in Egypt.

Overview

Saif NA et al.. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022 · PMID 34033263 · DOI 10.1111/tbed.14165

Half to two thirds of patient isolates matched retail chicken; the rest matched cattle/dairy.

Does the study support the specific claim? Yes · Methodological quality: low

Study explained simply

What did the researchers want to find out?: Which sources contribute to human C. jejuni infection in Egypt?
How was the study done?: Whole-genome sequencing and probabilistic source attribution (pilot)
How many people, animals or samples were studied?: 90 isolates
What was actually found?: Retail chicken: 64.2% (HS markers) and 52.3% (cgMLST) of clinical isolates; cattle reservoir 35.8% and 47.7%.
How large was the observed effect?: Retail chicken: 64.2% (HS markers) and 52.3% (cgMLST) of clinical isolates; cattle reservoir 35.8% and 47.7%.
What do the results mean in everyday life?: Chicken is also a main Campylobacter source in Egypt; dairy and cattle matter too.
What are the study's limitations?: Pilot; small sample; Only two candidate sources
What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?: Supports the claim for Egypt.
Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?: Pattern similar to EU attribution studies.
What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?: Pilot; not precise.

Authors: Saif NA et al.
Journal: Transbound Emerg Dis
Year: 2022
Identifier: PMID 34033263 DOI 10.1111/tbed.14165
Verification: verified – PubMed efetch 2026-10-26; Crossref 2026-10-26
Retracted: no
Corrections: none
Extent checked: abstract only
Conflicts of interest and funding: Zewail City internal fund; ASRT/BA grant (PubMed grant list)

Which sources contribute to human C. jejuni infection in Egypt?

Study design: Other – Whole-genome sequencing and probabilistic source attribution (pilot)
Population: C. jejuni isolates from clinical cases, retail chicken and dairy products
Country: Egypt
Period: 2017-2018
Sample size: 90 isolates
Inclusion and exclusion criteria: as described in the abstract

Results: Retail chicken: 64.2% (HS markers) and 52.3% (cgMLST) of clinical isolates; cattle reservoir 35.8% and 47.7%.
Absolute risks: not reported
Authors' conclusion: Retail chicken and also non-poultry (cattle) sources contribute to campylobacteriosis in Egypt.

Chicken is a main, but not the only, source in Egypt.

Egyptian evidence that chicken is a major source of Campylobacter infections.

Half to two thirds of patient isolates matched retail chicken; the rest matched cattle/dairy.

Multidimensional assessment
Multidimensional assessment
Authenticity of the source	verified
Methodological quality	low
Risk of bias	some concerns
Precision of results	low
Directness	direct
Reproducibility	partly replicated
Consistency with the overall evidence	consistent
Regional transferability	low
Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive)	not applicable