Arcobacters as emerging human foodborne pathogens

Arcobacter spp. are increasingly being isolated from a wide range of foods especially those of animal origin, such as pork and poultry, and products derived from these. Although its role in the disease process remains to be fully elucidated, there have been several reports of the organism being implicated in human illness. This article reviews the procedures that have been developed for the isolation and identification of Arcobacter spp. which have lead to its detection in a wide range of animals and foods and discusses the role that this organism may have in the epidemiology of foodborne disease. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.