CLASSIFICATION OF ARCOBACTER SPECIES ISOLATED FROM ABORTED PIG FETUSES AND SOWS WITH REPRODUCTIVE PROBLEMS IN BRAZIL

Seventeen field isolates of Arcobacter species were recovered in Brazi l from aborted porcine fetal livers (n = 3), kidneys (n = 2), and thor acic fluid (n = 1). Arcobacter species were also recovered from uterin e and oviductal tissues (n = 5) and a placenta from sows with reproduc tive problems, These isolates were initially presumed to be Arcobacter cryaerophilus on the basis of aerobic growth at 30 degrees C, indoxyl acetate hydrolysis, catalase and oxidase reactions, growth on MacConk ey agar, sensitivity to 3.5% sodium chloride, and susceptibility to na lidixic acid (40 mg/ml). The isolates were confirmed as Arcobacter usi ng polymerase chain reaction, and were classified as A, cryaerophilus 1A (24%), A. cryaerophilus 1B (71%), and A. butzleri (6%) using restri ction fragment length polymorphism. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.