Taxonomy, Epidemiology, and Clinical Relevance of the Genus Arcobacter

Abstract

SUMMARY The genus Arcobacter , defined almost 20 years ago from members of the genus Campylobacter , has become increasingly important because its members are being considered emergent enteropathogens and/or potential zoonotic agents. Over recent years information that is relevant for microbiologists, especially those working in the medical and veterinary fields and in the food safety sector, has accumulated. Recently, the genus has been enlarged with several new species. The complete genomes of Arcobacter butzleri and Arcobacter nitrofigilis are available, with the former revealing diverse pathways characteristic of free-living microbes and virulence genes homologous to those of Campylobacter. The first multilocus sequence typing analysis showed a great diversity of sequence types, with no association with specific hosts or geographical regions. Advances in detection and identification techniques, mostly based on molecular methods, have been made. These microbes have been associated with water outbreaks and with indicators of fecal pollution, with food products and water as the suspected routes of transmission. This review updates this knowledge and provides the most recent data on the taxonomy, species diversity, methods of detection, and identification of these microbes as well as on their virulence potential and implication in human and animal diseases.

Antimicrobial susceptibilities of various Arcobacter species

“…Arcobacters are differentiated from campylobacters by their ability to grow in aerobic conditions and at lower temperatures such as 15-30 °C (5). The genus Arcobacter includes members considered to be emergent enteropathogens and potential zoonotic agents, presently including 12 formally accepted species and possibly additional species awaiting formal description (4)(5)(6)(7)(8).…”

“…In 1991, Vandamme et al performed a comprehensive taxonomic study of all known Campylobacter-like organisms and proposed the genus name Arcobacter, which belongs to the epsilon subdivision of the Proteobacteria, called rRNA superfamily VI (3,4). Arcobacters are differentiated from campylobacters by their ability to grow in aerobic conditions and at lower temperatures such as 15-30 °C (5).…”

Isolation and determination of antimicrobial resistance of Arcobacter species isolated from animal faeces in the Diyarbakir region of Turkey using the 16S rDNA-RFLP method

“…Recently, the Arcobacter genus has been gaining increasing importance in community health due to its zoonotic potential, the appearance of new species and the fact that several species are emerging enteropathogens (Collado and Figueras 2011). Further, the genus has been classified as a serious hazard to human health by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications.…”

“…Arcobacter spp. lead to mastitis, abortus and gastrointestinal diseases in animals, and have been isolated from asymptomatic animals as well (Ho et al 2006;Collado and Figueras 2011). Some Arcobacter spp.…”

Spoilage and Pathogenic Bacteria Associated with Spoilage Process of Sichuan Pickle during the Spontaneous Fermentation

“…The genus Arcobacter has become increasingly important concern in recent years because its members have been considered emergent enteropathogens and potential zoonotic agents (Collado et al, 2011). H. variabilis could be isolated from the various aquatic and terrestrial euryhaline habitats (Okamoto et al, 2004 (Stevens et al, 2013).…”