Occurrence, virulence gene and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Arcobacter sp. isolated from catla (Catla catla) in India.

In the present study, a total of 100 catla (Catla catla-major South Asian carp, local name botcha) collected from local fish markets and aquaculture ponds were subjected for isolation and characterization of Arcobacter sp. In all, 21 Arcobacter sp. were isolated, of which 18 (85·7%) were Arcobacter butzleri and three (14%) were A. cryoaerophilus as identified by multiplex PCR. All 18 A. butzleri isolates were positive for mviN, ciaB and tlyA virulence genes, three of A. cryoaerophilus isolates carried mviN gene and none of the isolates were positive for cadF, irgA, cj1349, hecA and hecB genes. All isolates (n = 21) were resistant to penicillin (100%). Meanwhile, 71·43, 23·81, 23·81, 14·29 and 9·52% of the isolates showed resistance towards vancomycin, nalidixic acid, erythromycin, cefixime and kanamycin, respectively. Multidrug resistance was observed in 23·81% of the Arcobacter sp. isolates and none of the isolates were positive for any of the extended spectrum beta-lactamases either by phenotypic or by molecular identification genes (blaOXA , blaSHV , blaTEM , blaCTX-M1 , blaCTX-M2 and blaCTX-M9 groups). The results emphasize the need to implement specific control procedures to reduce the use of antibiotics in aquaculture particularly the ones which are very important in human medicine. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Arcobacter species are emerging food- and water-borne human pathogens. In this study, Arcobacter butzleri was predominant in fish compared to A. cryoaerohilus and A. skirrowii. Higher incidence of arcobacters in fish market samples suggests cross contamination and unhygienic handling of fish in markets. Virulence genes profile and antibiotics resistance of the Arcobacter sp. isolated in current study indicate pathogenic potential of Arcobacter sp. to humans. Occurrence of multidrug-resistant Arcobacter sp. in fish is a major concern in food safety. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Arcobacter sp. from freshwater fish, catla (Catla catla) in India.

Virulence gene profiles of Arcobacter species isolated from animals, foods of animal origin, and humans in Andhra Pradesh, India.

AIM: This study aimed to detect putative virulence genes in Arcobacter species of animal and human origin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 41 Arcobacter isolates (16 Arcobacter butzleri, 13 Arcobacter cryaerophilus, and 12 Arcobacter skirrowii) isolated from diverse sources such as fecal swabs of livestock (21), raw foods of animal origin (13), and human stool samples (7) were subjected to a set of six uniplex polymerase chain reaction assays targeting Arcobacter putative virulence genes (ciaB, pldA, tlyA, mviN, cadF, and cj1349). RESULTS: All the six virulence genes were detected among all the 16 A. butzleri isolates. Among the 13 A. cryaerophilus isolates, cadF, ciaB, cj1349, mviN, pldA, and tlyA genes were detected in 61.5, 84.6, 76.9, 76.9, 61.5, and 61.5% of isolates, respectively. Among the 12 A. skirrowii isolates, cadF, ciaB, cj1349, mviN, pldA, and tlyA genes were detected in 50.0, 91.6, 83.3, 66.6, 50, and 50% of isolates, respectively. CONCLUSION: Putative virulence genes were detected in majority of the Arcobacter isolates examined. The results signify the potential of Arcobacter species as an emerging foodborne pathogen.