Recovery of Arcobacter spp. from nonlivestock species.

This research explores the presence of the organism Arcobacter in non-livestock species. The study confirmed that seven out of nine species had Arcobacter, and indicated the struggles in identifying it in cases resembling certain types of abortion or leptospirosis.

About Arcobacter

Arcobacter is a genus of bacteria resembling Campylobacter, with the ability to grow in air at 25 degrees Celsius. These organisms have been detected and isolated from healthy livestock as well as aborted fetuses. They are often misidentified as either Campylobacter or Leptospira because of their growth patterns in selective semisolid media.

Purpose of the Study

• The research was conducted due to the limited reports on Arcobacter from non-livestock species.
• The goal of the study was to effectively identify Arcobacter spp. in non-livestock species.

Study Method

Nine different non-livestock species were examined for the presence of Arcobacter. These included Alpaca, Black Rhinoceros, White Rhinoceros, Gorilla, Gazelle, Rhea, and aborted equine fetuses.

Study Findings

A multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay was used to confirm the presence of Arcobacter in seven out of the nine species. The remaining two samples were identified as Arcobacter skirrowii and Campylobacter jejuni, through sequence analysis of a 527-base pair segment of the 16S rRNA gene.

Conclusion

The findings from this research highlight the challenge of identifying Arcobacter in cases which mimic certain types of abortion or leptospirosis. This suggests a need for further studies and enhanced techniques to correctly identify and distinguish Arcobacter from other similar organisms, to prevent possible diagnostic mistakes.