Occurrence of Arcobacter in dogs and cats in Selangor, Malaysia, and associated risk factors.

Arcobacter is widely regarded as an emerging foodborne pathogen because of its increasing occurrence in food production causing gastroenteritis in humans. In addition, it is also reported as a potential zoonosis. The objectives of this study were to determine the occurrence of Arcobacter in dogs and cats and the associated risk factors. Rectal and buccal cavity swab samples were taken from dogs (n = 40) and cats (n = 40) owned by individuals who brought the animals to a university teaching hospital and stray dogs (n = 61) and cats (n = 46). Suspected colonies of Arcobacter were subjected to biochemical tests (catalase, oxidase, and hippurate hydrolysis and indoxyl acetate hydrolysis tests). Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) was employed for the confirmation and differentiation of the isolates. Results showed that the rates of Arcobacter carriage were 34.8% and 45.0% in stray and pet cats, respectively, while in stray and pet dogs the occurrences were detected at 50.8% and 60.0%, respectively. Arcobacter butzleri was the only species identified. The risk factors for Arcobacter infections in dogs and cats were determined through a questionnaire and analyzed statistically. The factors that were found to significantly increase the risk of Arcobacter infection were households with multiple pets and the source of drinking water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]