Isolation of Arcobacter spp. from domestic ducks and geese and identification of the recovered isolates by using molecular method

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the role of healthy domestic geese and ducks as Arcobacter carriers. A total of 599 samples, including 330 cloacal swab and 116 fecal samples from geese, and 153 cloacal swab samples from ducks raised on family farms were analysed. For this purpose, the membrane filtration method was applied. In this study, Arcobacter spp. were isolated at rates of 16.7% and 12.93% from cloacal swab and stool samples of geese, respectively, and 26.14% from cloacal swab samples of ducks. Obtained isolates were identified by multiplex PCR (m-PCR) as A. cryaerophilus, A. butzleri, and A. skirrowii. Seasonal analyses of Arcobacter spp. that were isolated from the examined samples were done for the months in which the samples were collected. While the highest rate of Arcobacter spp. in cloacal swab samples in geese was obtained in October, Arcobacter spp. was found in stool samples in July. The highest isolation rate for ducks was obtained in July as well. These isolation rates suggest that the stool may play an important role in the transmission and spread of arcobacters. Consequently, ducks and geese, which are reservoirs for arcobacters because they carry Arcobacter spp. in their digestive systems, play a considerable role in the transmission of arcobacters to other animals and to humans, thereby being vectors of infection.