ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To determine the contributions of several animal and environmental sources of human campylobacteriosis and identify source-specific risk factors. METHODS: 1417 Campylobacter jejuni/coli isolates from the Netherlands in 2017-2019 were whole-genome sequenced, including isolates from human cases (nâ¯=â¯280), chickens/turkeys (nâ¯=â¯238), laying hens (nâ¯=â¯56), cattle (nâ¯=â¯158), veal calves (nâ¯=â¯49), sheep/goats (nâ¯=â¯111), pigs (nâ¯=â¯110), dogs/cats (nâ¯=â¯100), wild birds (nâ¯=â¯62), and surface water (nâ¯=â¯253). Questionnaire-based exposure data was collected. Source attribution was performed using core-genome multilocus sequence typing. Risk factors were determined on the attribution estimates. RESULTS: Cases were mostly attributed to chickens/turkeys (48.2%), dogs/cats (18.0%), cattle (12.1%), and surface water (8.5%). Of the associations identified, never consuming chicken, as well as frequent chicken consumption, and rarely washing hands after touching raw meat, were risk factors for chicken/turkey-attributable infections. Consuming unpasteurized milk or barbecued beef increased the risk for cattle-attributable infections. Risk factors for infections attributable to environmental sources were open water swimming, contact with dog faeces, and consuming non-chicken/turkey avian meat like game birds. CONCLUSIONS: Poultry and cattle are the main livestock sources of campylobacteriosis, while pets and surface water are important non-livestock sources. Foodborne transmission is only partially consistent with the attributions, as frequency and alternative pathways of exposure are significant.