Prevalence and genetic variability of Arcobacter species in mechanically separated turkey

A survey for Arcobacter spp. and Arcobacter butzleri in mechanically separated turkey was conducted during the winter of 1995 and summer and fall of 1996. Arcobacter spp. and A. butzleri were identified by polymerase chain reaction and species-specific oligonucleotide probes. Arcobacter spp. were isolated from 77% (303 out of 395) of the mechanically separated turkey samples with 74% (223 out of 303) of these samples positive for A. butzleri. Of the 121 A. butzleri isolates tested, 86 different patterns were evident following amplification of enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequences. The extent of genetic polymorphism indicated multiple sources of contamination.