Abstract

This research aims to investigate the presence and pathogenic potential of Arcobacter in poultry meat samples purchased in the retail market of Valdivia (South of Chile) as well as in faecal samples from backyard chickens from rural areas around this city. The isolates obtained were identified by molecular methods. Furthermore, putative virulence genes were assessed by PCR and the antimicrobial resistance was tested by phenotypic methods. Arcobacter was present in 41 center dot 6% of the samples, with the highest value in retail poultry meat (55 center dot 7%) followed by backyard production (28 center dot 0%). Arcobacter butzleri was the most prevalent species (75 center dot 6%) followed by Arcobacter skirrowii (14 center dot 8%) and Arcobacter cryaerophilus (9 center dot 6%). An 8 center dot 5% of A. butzleri strains from meat were resistant to both ciprofloxacin and tetracycline and 6 center dot 1% were resistant to erythromycin, while none was resistant to gentamycin, unlike strains from domestic chickens, which showed no resistance. Furthermore, A. butzleri strains from chicken meat presented a higher prevalence of virulence genes than strains from domestic chickens. In fact, in this last group, some genes (hecA, hecB and irgA) were completely absent. Therefore, this study provides insight on the epidemiology of Arcobacter in Chilean poultry and suggests that under traditional breeding conditions strains are, apparently, less pathogenic and drug resistant.