Isolation of Arcobacter Species From Different Water Sources and Characterization of Isolated Species by Molecular Techniques

Abstract

Arcobacter is a Gram-negative, spiral-shaped bacterium and belongs to the family Campylobacteraceae. They are known as a potential foodborne and waterborne pathogen. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Arcobacter spp. in different water sources in addition to their phenotypic and genetic characterization. One hundred and fifteen samples collected from various water sources in zmir and surrounding area were used to isolate Arcobacter. The isolated strains were identified at the genus level by PCR showing that 42 samples (37%) were found to contain Arcobacter. Then, a multiplex PCR (m-PCR) was used to differentiate the isolates at the species level, revealing that 21 samples (sewage n=13, river n=7 and drinking water n=1) were positive for A. butzleri. The remaining undifferentiated isolates (n=21) were further analysed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, displaying that 19 were identified as A. butzleri with a similarity level of between 96-99%. In addition, the antimicrobial susceptibility of the Arcobacter isolates obtained was tested using a disc diffusion method. All the isolates tested (n=39) were found susceptible to tetracycline and ciprofloxacin, but resistant to vancomycin. This is the first study carried out in zmir to determine the prevalence and distribution of Arcobacter spp. from various water sources. The study showed that water sources including drinking water are common reservoirs and potential transmission vehicles for this emerging pathogen, suggesting that appropriate intervention measures should be taken to protect human health.