Fecal Campylobacter jejuni shedding in healthy dogs and dogs with acute diarrhea in central New York.

Puppies and dogs consuming table scraps are at increased C. jejuni shedding risk, posing zoonotic concerns regardless of diarrhea status.

This prospective study investigated the prevalence of fecal Campylobacter jejuni shedding in 212 dogs in central New York between January 2022 and September 2023, comparing apparently healthy dogs to those presenting with acute diarrhea. Real-time PCR was used for detection, with positive samples subjected to bacteriologic culture, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and whole-genome sequencing for isolate characterization. The study found no statistically significant difference in C. jejuni PCR-positive prevalence between healthy dogs and those with acute diarrhea, suggesting that diarrhea alone is not a reliable indicator of C. jejuni infection status. Notably, puppies exhibited a substantially higher shedding prevalence (14.3%) compared to adult dogs (2.8%), representing a significant risk factor for infection. Additionally, dogs with a recent history of consuming table scraps or food waste demonstrated a markedly higher positivity rate (9.6%) versus those without such exposure (2.0%). The identification of C. jejuni in both healthy and diarrheic dogs underscores the zoonotic public health implications, as asymptomatic carriers can serve as reservoirs for human infection. Limitations include the relatively small number of diarrheic dogs, which limited statistical power for group comparisons. Clinicians should consider C. jejuni screening in puppies and dogs with food waste exposure histories, and client education regarding zoonotic risk and appropriate hygiene practices is warranted regardless of the dog's clinical presentation.

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