Author
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Wesley, Irene |
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SCHROEDER-TUCKER, LINDA - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) |
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Submitted to: Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 3/12/2011 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: The genus Arcobacter is closely related to Campylobacter jejuni, which is the number one cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. Arcobacter species have been reported in domesticated livestock and foods, and are emerging foodborne pathogen. Herein we summarize nine clinical cases which illustrate the difficulties in distinguishing it from other species, such as Campylobacter fetus, which is a cause of livestock infertility and abortion. These cases are of potential significance because of the clinical presentation, the impact on the industry, and the challenges of differentiating Arcobacter by routine culture. Technical Abstract: The genus Arcobacter encompasses campylobacter-like organisms which grow in air at 25 deg C. Arcobacter spp. have been either detected and or isolated from livestock and have been incriminated in water-borne outbreaks, reflecting its adaptation to aquatic environments. Reports from non-livestock species are limited. Nine presumptive isolates of Arcobacter spp. were recovered from an alpaca, horses, black rhinoceros, white rhinoceros, and a male gorilla. Seven of these nine biochemically identified isolates of Arcobacter were confirmed by a multiplex PCR assay. The remaining two isolates were subsequently identified by PCR amplification of a 527 bp. fragment of the 16S rRNA gene as A skirrowii and C. jejuni. Its recovery from either healthy or sick animals suggests that Arcobactrer spp. may either reside as a transient commensal, which is coincidentally isolated in the absence of others established pathogens, or represent an unrecognized and hence an underreported animal pathogen. |
