Identifying and Exploring the Persistence, Resistome and Mobilome of Campylobacter and Salmonella spp. and in Agricultural-Influenced Waterways of First Nation Communities in Manitoba

Campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis are the leading food and water-borne bacterial illnesses in Canada. The causative agents are Campylobacter especially Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, and Salmonella spp.  According to the government of Canada, Campylobacter spp. account for about 8% domestically acquired foodborne illnesses and about 14% hospitalizations from foodborne bacterial illnesses. Non-typhoidal Salmonella spp. account for approximately 5% domestically acquired foodborne illnesses and about 24% hospitalizations from foodborne bacterial illnesses. Agriculturally influenced environments, surrounding waterways, facilitate the transport of enteric pathogens, making them a sentinel location. FoodNet Canada, a federal program, has conducted assessments of these pathogens in sentinel sites across major regions in Canada; however, monitoring and screening of these pathogens in aquatic waterways of Manitoba remains unavailable. Using a combination of culture-dependent approaches and Oxford Nanopore whole-genome sequencing (WGS), we assess these pathogens and the water quality golden standard, thermotolerant E. coli, within agriculturally impacted waterways across three First Nation communities of Manitoba. Surface watersamples from 7 different sampling locations influenced by agricultural activities were collected during four different months from August to December 2025, which is the primary harvest period for most major crops in Manitoba. Genomic DNA was extracted from the three bacterial isolates of interest per sample location and prepared for WGS. Longer and more informative reads were generated, assembled and aligned against a reference genome for the respective bacterial pathogens, followed by a full genome annotation to identify antimicrobial resistance genes. Within this context, the complete resistome and mobilome of the isolates were characterised. Metadata and genetic information of all the isolates from the sample sites will be [MU1] integrated into statistical and visualisation tools for comparative analysis regarding variation, antimicrobial resistance genes, and other environmental factors (metadata) driving the isolates in the waterways. By integrating these environmental WGS data with public health reports, genomic analysis will establish reliable data for understanding and unveiling the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles and transmission routes of these causative agents responsible for enteric illnesses in Manitoba and particularly First Nation communities. 

Presentation Preference: Lightning Talk with Poster (5 Minutes)

Primary Presenter: Maurice Nyamekye, University of Manitoba (nmaurice366@gmail.com)

Authors:

Maurice Nyamekye, University of Manitoba  (nyamekym@myumanitoba.ca)

Miguel Uyaguari- Diaz, University of Manitoba  (miguel.uyaguari@umanitoba.ca)

Jerome Fung, University of Manitoba  (fungj1@myumanitoba.ca)