Campylobacter lanienae sp nov., a new species isolated from workers in an abattoir

Campylobacter-like organisms were isolated from the faeces of healthy indiv iduals during a hygiene survey of abattoir workers. The strains, which exhi bited characteristics of Campylobacter, being non-glucose-fermenting. oxida se- and catalase-positive, Gram-negative, motile rods, were identified to t he genus level by a PCR assay. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, DNA homology experiments and determination of G+C content demonstrat ed that they constituted a previously undescribed species, whose nearest ph ylogenetic neighbours were Campylobacter hyointestinalis subsp, hyointestin alis, Campylobacter fetus and Campylobacter mucosalis, The name Campylobact er lanienae sp. nov. is proposed for this taxon and species-specific PCR pr imers were evaluated which will find use in the study of its epidemiology, prevalence and pathogenicity.