Identification and characterization of Arcobacter isolates from broilers by biochemical tests, antimicrobial resistance patterns and plasmid analysis.

A total of 89 Arcobacter butzleri isolates obtained from freshly slaughtered broilers was investigated for their biochemical capacities by using the API CAMPY system as well as additional growth and tolerance tests, for their antimicrobial resistance patterns and their plasmid content. Among these techniques, biochemical profiling and antimicrobial resistance testing proved to be the most discriminatory methods as confirmed by the calculation of discriminatory indices. These two methods might represent valuable tools for epidemiological analysis of A. butzleri isolates. Small plasmids of up to 5 kbp were detectable in only 21 of the 89 isolates while the remaining 68 A. butzleri isolates were plasmid-free.