Arcobacter is an emerging foodborne pathogen about which relatively little is known, aside from the facts that the pathogen can be a cause of human gastroenteric illness and may diminish the shelf life of contaminated foods. A recent study published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology has attempted to expand upon the available knowledge about Arcobacter, revealing information related to food sources associated with the pathogen, its genetic diversity and traits, and its ability to form biofilms.
Researchers collected 220 samples from cockle, squid, shrimp, quail meat, rabbit meat, turkey meat, fresh cheese, spinach, Swiss chard, lettuce, and carrot, which were purchased from various retail outlets in Spain from May 2015–November 2015. Of the samples that were analyzed, 22.3 percent tested positive for Arcobacter; the pathogen was detected in samples from all tested food groups, but squid and turkey meat had the highest levels of contamination at 60 and 40 percent, respectively.