title: Dogs as carriers of the emerging pathogen Arcobacter.
abstract: Dogs and cats living in a household have previously been identified as a risk factor for human infection with Campylobacter and Helicobacter. In this study, carried out between July 2006 to September 2007, feces and oral swabs from 267 dogs and 61 cats were examined for the presence of the emerging pathogen Arcobacter. Isolates, obtained by an Arcobacter selective isolation procedure, were identified with an Arcobacter species-specific multiplex-PCR and characterized by modified enterobacterial repetitive intergenic concensus PCR. No arcobacters were isolated from cats. Five dogs excreted arcobacters in the feces and two other dogs carried arcobacters in the mouth. In the follow-up, one dog excreted the same Arcobacter butzleri strain for at least 1 week. Six dogs carried each an unique A. cryaerophilus strain although three of them lived in the same family. Therefore, beside the consumption of food and water, contact with dogs is another potential source of Arcobacter infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. Kurt.houf@UGent.be
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Houf
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Smet
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baré
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Daminet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020640:Arcobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002353:Carrier State; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D002415:Cats; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D004285:Dogs; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology