Prevalence of Arcobacter and Campylobacter in beef meat samples and characterization of the recovered isolates

The present study aimed to isolate Arcobacter spp. and Campylobacter spp. from beef meat samples including cattle carcasses, cube meat and minced meat, and to determine the antibacterial susceptibility and genetic diversity of the recovered isolates. One hundred beef carcass surface samples from slaughterhouses and 100 beef meat samples (50 samples of cube meat and 50 minced meat) taken from different retail units were analysed. Of the examined samples, 17 (8.5%) and 43 (21.5%) were positive for Arcobacter spp. and Campylobacter spp. respectively. Twenty Arcobacter and 53 Campylobacter isolates were obtained from positive samples. Both Arcobacter and Campylobacter were concurrently isolated from 7 (3.5%) of the 17 positive samples. Arcobacter butzleri (18 isolates) and Campylobacter jejuni (37 isolates) were the most commonly isolated species. The results of Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus Polymerase Chain Reaction revealed extensive genetic heterogeneity among both Arcobacter and Campylobacter isolates. Seventeen and 30 different genotypes were identified in 18 A. butzleri and 37 C. jejuni isolates, respectively. Each of A. cryaerophilus, C. fetus and C. hyointestinalis isolates had two genotypes. Three and seven genotypes were identified in five C. lari and in seven C. coli isolates, respectively. While 5% of 20 Arcobacter isolates were resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, 5% of the isolates were resistant to neomycin. Of the 53 Campylobacter isolates, 9.43%, 22.64%, 7.54% and 3.77% were resistant to enrofloxacin, neomycin, tetracycline and streptomycin, respectively. Contaminated beef carcasses, cube meat and minced meat with various species and subspecies of arcobacters and campylobacters may pose a risk factor for human infections. Our study reveals the necessity of improving the hygiene quality in slaughterhouses and other meat processing units as there are different sources of contamination.