Current Status on Arcobacter Research: An Update on DNA-Based Identification and Typing Methodologies

In the last few years, species of the genus Arcobacter have emerged as etiologic agents of food-borne diarrhoeal illness in humans. The routes of Arcobacter spp. infection are not yet elucidated, but consumption of contaminated food and water seem as the most likely vehicles for the transmission to persons. Food commodities from which arcobacters are more frequently isolated are meats, especially poultry followed by pork, beef and others. The growing number of reports alluding to the association of Arcobacter spp. with animal foods and human illness has concentrated efforts of researchers towards the development of improved molecular methods for the identification and characterisation of these emerging pathogenic bacteria. In this review paper, an update of the occurrence of arcobacters in foods and their association with human illness is provided. Special emphasis is given to the main DNA-based methods applied for the detection and identification of Arcobacter species, as well as to the molecular typing methods currently in use for these emerging food-borne pathogens.