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Title: PHENOTYPIC AND RIBOSOMAL RNA CHARACTERIZATION OF ARCOBACTER SPECIES ASSOCIATED WITH PORCINE ABORTIONS

Author
item SCHROEDER-TUCKER, L - USDA-APHIS-VS-NVSL
item Wesley, Irene
item KIEHLBAUCH, J - CENTER DISEASE CONTROL
item THOMAS, L - USDA-APHIS-VS-NVSL
item LARSON, D - IA ST UNIV-VET DIAGN LAB

Submitted to: American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/31/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Arcobacter spp. have been described from aborted farm animals in Europe and Canada and from cases of human enteritis throughout the world. The goal of this study was to characterize isolates recovered from porcine tissues by conventional phenotypic tests and by ribotyping. Isolates of Arcobacter from NC (n=32) and IA (n=33) were ribotyped and characterized by Campylobacter-specific tests, the Biolog(R) system, and API ZYM(R) kits. The most reliable tests used to phenotype A. butzleri included: growth in 1% glycine and in 1.5% NaCl, weak catalase activity, and resistance to cadmium chloride. A. cryaerophilus strains were characterized by strong catalase activity and sensitivity to cadmium chloride. The enzymes detected by the API ZYM(R) strips did not separate the species. However, the constitutive enzymes, alkaline phosphatase and naphthol-AS-BI- phosphohydrolase, were detected in 100% of the Arcobacter spp. examined and dshould be evaluated as additional tests for identification to genus level. Biolog(R) microplate data indicated L-glutamic acid was utilized by 58% of A. cryaerophilus DNA hybridization group 1B which was significantly higher by chi-square p-value than either A. cryaerophilus DNA hybridization group 1A or A. butzleri. D-L-lactic acid was utilized by 96% of A. butzleri and less than 25% of the A. cryaerophilus group. These tests should prove to be useful when attempting to characterize the species of Arcobacter.