title: Temporal and farm-management-associated variation in faecal pat prevalence of Arcobacter spp. in ruminants.
abstract: In a 2-year longitudinal study of adult animals on 15 dairy farms and four sheep farms in Lancashire, UK, Arcobacter spp. were isolated from all farms although not at every sampling occasion. Faecal samples were collected and cultured using standard techniques for isolation of campylobacters. Assignment to species was via PCR assays. Apparent prevalence of Arcobacter spp. was higher in dairy cattle compared to sheep (40.1% vs. 8%, P < 0.001) and in housed cattle compared to cattle at pasture (50.1% vs. 20.9%, P < 0.001). This was reflected in the higher prevalence observed in herds that were housed (n = 4) all year compared to herds that grazed cattle on pasture in the summer and housed cattle in the winter (n = 11) (55.5% vs. 36%, P < 0.001). In the case of sheep, peak prevalence was observed in autumn with increased prevalence also being associated with improving pasture quality. There was an apparent inverse association between the faecal pat prevalence of Arcobacter spp. and Campylobacter jejuni although this may in part be an artefact of laboratory test method sensitivity, whereby a relative increase in the frequency of one bacterial species would reduce the sensitivity of detecting the other.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, School of Veterinary Science, Leahurst, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Grove-White
authors.affiliation: 28 Kings Road, Crosby, UK.
authors.forename: A J H
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Leatherbarrow
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, School of Veterinary Science, Leahurst, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Cripps
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Lancaster, Lancaster, UK.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Diggle
authors.affiliation: mEpiLab and Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Hopkirk Research Institute, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: French
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020640:Arcobacter / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D002417:Cattle; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary; D016015:Logistic Models; D012756:Sheep