Occurrence of campylobacters in small domestic and laboratory animals

Faeces samples from 156 healthy domestic pets and laboratory animals were examined for campylobacters with both a selective medium (Campylobacter Blood Free Medium; Oxoid, CM739) and selective filtration through a 0.65 micron pore size filter. Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 78 of the samples; filtration was the most effective method. Isolates were characterized by biochemical tests and DNA/DNA hybridization with whole chromosomal DNA from reference strains as probes. Campylobacter upsaliensis was the most common species isolated from cats (45 from 68 samples) whilst Camp. jejuni was more often isolated from dogs (19 from 56 samples). More attention should be paid to pets as a potential source of campylobacters capable of causing diarrhoea in human beings. Procedures other than those involving currently-used selective agents must be employed to efficiently detect all campylobacters.