Potential routes of acquisition of Arcobacter species by piglets

• Published in: Veterinary microbiology Vol. 114; no. 1; pp. 123 - 133
• Main Authors: Ho, T.K.H., Lipman, L.J.A., van der Graaf-van Bloois, L., van Bergen, M., Gaastra, W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 16-04-2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: amniotic fluid; Amniotic Fluid - microbiology; animal breeding; animal pathogenic bacteria; Animals; antibodies; Antibodies, Bacterial - analysis; Arcobacter; Arcobacter - classification; Arcobacter - genetics; Arcobacter - isolation & purification; bacterial infections; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Western - veterinary; Colostrum; Colostrum - immunology; disease transmission; Disease Transmission, Infectious - veterinary; DNA Primers - chemistry; DNA, Bacterial - chemistry; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field - methods; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field - veterinary; excretion; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections - epidemiology; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections - microbiology; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections - transmission; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections - veterinary; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical - veterinary; litters (young animals); Microbiology; neonates; pathogen shedding; Piglets; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Polymerase Chain Reaction - standards; Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; Prevalence; rectum; Rectum - microbiology; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sows; strain differences; strains; swine diseases; Swine Diseases - epidemiology; Swine Diseases - microbiology; Swine Diseases - transmission; Time Factors; Transmission; transplacental transmission; Prevalence; Colostrum; Piglets; Arcobacter; Transmission; Sows; Microbiology; Veterinary; Epidemiology
• ISSN: 0378-1135; 1873-2542
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2005.11.051

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and the transmission routes of
Arcobacter spp. in sows and their offspring on a breeding farm. Twelve
Arcobacter-positive sows and their litters were studied for this purpose. Analysis of rectal samples showed a high prevalence of
Arcobacter spp. among the sows (approximately 42% of the sows carried one or more
Arcobacter species). Intermittent excretion of one particular species and shifts in excretion from one species to another were observed in individual animals over time. The detection of
Arcobacter spp. in amniotic fluid of the sows and in rectal samples from newborn piglets (ranging from 38.5–83.3% per litter), as well as the high similarity between PFGE profiles of
Arcobacter isolates from sows and their respective newborns indicated the existence of an intra-uterine transmission route for
Arcobacter spp. Specific antibodies against
Arcobacter spp. were detected in colostrum by Western blot. At 2 weeks of age, only a few piglets were positive for
Arcobacter. The reappearance of
Arcobacter in these piglets at Week 3 and the shift in the
Arcobacter species detected (from a prominent presence of
A. cryaerophilus at birth to the presence of
A. skirrowii and
A. butzleri at 3 weeks after birth) showed that a post-natal infection route from their mothers, newcomers or the environment to the piglets existed. Thus, in this manuscript the transmission of
Arcobacter spp. (both vertical and horizontal) from carrying sows to their offspring is demonstrated.