OCCURRENCE OF CAMPYLOBACTERS IN SMALL DOMESTIC AND LABORATORY-ANIMALS

Faeces samples from 156 healthy domestic pets and laboratory animals w ere examined for campylobacters with both a selective medium (Campylob acter Blood Free Medium; Oxoid, CM739) and selective filtration throug h a 0.65 mum pore size filter. Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 7 8 of the samples; filtration was the most effective method. Isolates w ere characterized by biochemical tests and DNA/DNA hybridization with whole chromosomal DNA from reference strains as probes. Campylobacter upsaliensis was the most common species isolated from cats (45 from 68 samples) whilst Camp.jejuni was more often isolated from dogs (19 fro m 56 samples). More attention should be paid to pets as a potential so urce of campylobacters capable of causing diarrhoea in human beings. P rocedures other than those involving currently-used selective agents m ust be employed to efficiently detect all campylobacters.