<div style="text-align: justify;">A total of n=510 samples comprising of faecal swabs from livestock (n=245), foods of animal origin (n=180) and human stools (n=85) were examined to detect Arcobacter species employing cultural and PCR methods. Overall, 11.7% of samples were found positive for Arcobacter species by genus-specific PCR. On screening faecal samples of livestocks, higher positivity was observed in pigs (23.3%), followed by chicken (16.6%), turkey (15.0%), cattle (10.0%), duck (10.0%) and sheep (6.6%). With regard to foods of animal origin, higher positivity was observed in pork samples (15.0%), followed by chicken (12.5%), milk (10.0%) and mutton (7.5%). In humans, the stool samples of farm workers revealed high positivity (13.3%) followed by veterinary students (8.0%) and diarrhoeic humans (6.66%). Using cultural method, a total of 41 (8.03%) Arcobacter isolates were recovered. The multiplex-PCR assay enabled detection of Arcobacter butzleri (16/41), Arcobacter cryaerophilus (13/41) and Arcobacter skirrowii (12/41). The results signify the occurrence of Arcobacter species in animal faeces, foods of animal origin and humans in Andhra Pradesh, India.</div>

Occurrence of Arcobacter species in animal faeces, foods of animal origin and humans in Andhra Pradesh, India

The genus Arcobacter includes emerging pathogenic potential species routinely reported from various foods, animals and environmental samples. Among which Arcobacter butzleri is one of the major notable pathogen known to cause gastroenteritis and bacteraemia in humans. HeLa cell lines are used for the adhesion and invasion assay for 15 A. butzleri strains derived from seafood (fish, shellfish) and environmental (coastal water) samples. Quantification of A. butzleri cytotoxicity on Vero cell lines was done by using the WST-1 assay. Eleven of fifteen A. butzleri strains displayed the ability to adhere to and invade HeLa cells. Four strains (CW4, SF5, F1 and F2) exhibited only adhesion and showed no signs of invasion into HeLa cells. However, all the fifteen A. butzleri strains revealed a high percentage of cytotoxic effects on the Vero cells. It is apparent from this study that the environmental as well as seafood-derived strains can be as pathogenic as clinical strains.

Occurrence of Arcobacter species in animal faeces, foods of animal origin and humans in Andhra Pradesh, India

Pathogenic Potential Abilities of Seafood and Environmental Derived Arcobacter butzleri Strains on HeLa and Vero Cell Lines