[Arcobacter: a foodborne emerging pathogen]

Abstract

In the last three decades, several emergent diseases affecting human beings have been identified, most of them from infectious origin including bacterial, viral, parasitic and even difficult to classify as spongiform encephalopathy. Most of these are zoonotic as it is the case of Arcobacter, currently considered as an emerging and food borne pathogen, of growing importance for public health. The increase in the prevalence and incidence of cases associated to this bacteria as well as in the number of actual researches and reports, suggest that the infection in human beings and animals has been underestimated due to a lack in knowledge about this bacteria and of a standardized isolation protocols, as well as the use of correct identification methods and techniques. Increasing trends in the isolation of Arcobacter from animal derivates used as food and from samples taken during production processes, cause an augment in public health awareness, since there is little knowledge about the pathogenic potential of Arcobacter species and the few focused in this bacterial group, show many different transmission routes and host species. Given this, the objective of the present review is to actualize the reader in the most important characteristics of this bacterium, including its morphology, distribution, classification, transmission, association with water, food, pets and animals, as well as the laboratory isolation techniques, virulence factors and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns.