A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Effect of COVID‐19 Pandemic on Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Campylobacter
Species, Salmonella enterica and Yersinia enterocolitica in Southwest Finland 2018–2022
Authors: Orpana, Tanja; Kallonen, Teemu; Hakanen, Antti J.; Gunell, Marianne
Publisher: Wiley
Publication year: 2026
Journal: APMIS
Article number: e70187
Volume: 134
Issue: 3
ISSN: 0903-4641
eISSN: 1600-0463
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/apm.70187
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Partially Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1111/apm.70187
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/516251411
Self-archived copy's licence: CC BY
Self-archived copy's version: Publisher`s PDF
This study investigated the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of fecal Campylobacter spp., Salmonella enterica, and Yersinia enterocolitica strains in Southwest Finland from 2018 to 2022. Results show that the number of travel-associated S. enterica and Campylobacter spp. declined markedly from autumn 2019 to autumn 2020 and have recovered gradually. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on bacterial strains isolated from PCR-positive fecal specimens. Resistance patterns fluctuated throughout the study period. Among C. jejuni, ciprofloxacin resistance averaged 58% in domestic (n = 155) and 88% travel-associated (n = 10) strains, while tetracycline resistance averaged 36% and 63%, respectively; erythromycin resistance was not detected. In S. enterica, resistance averaged 42% and 33% to ampicillin, 33% and 45% to fluoroquinolones, 4% and 6% to cefotaxime, and 0% and 2% to co-trimoxazole, in domestic (n = 24) and travel-associated (n = 32) strains, respectively. Among domestic Y. enterocolitica strains (n = 64), resistance averaged 7% to co-trimoxazole, 2% to ciprofloxacin, and 1% to cefotaxime; no travel-associated strains were reported. This study shows that lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic decreased the number of diagnosed enteropathogens and limited the emergence of resistant strains. Thus, our results reaffirm that travel remains the primary source of S. enterica infections in Finland.
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