Fecal shedding of Campylobacter and Arcobacter spp. in dairy cattle

Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, and Arcobacter spp. were detected in feces of healthy daily cows by highly specific multiplex-PCR assays. Fo r C. jejuni, at this one-time sampling, cows from 80.6% of farm operations (n = 31) and 37.7% of individual dairy cattle fecal samples (n = 2,085) wer e positive. Farm management factors were correlated with prevalence in herd s in which >25% of cows were positive for C. jejuni. Statistical significan ce was set at a P of 0.20. Using these criteria, application of manure with broadcast spreaders (P = 0.17), feeding of whole cottonseed or hulls (P = 0.17) or alfalfa (P = 0.15), and accessibility of feed to birds (P = 0.17) were identified as possible risk factors for C. jejuni infection. C. coli w as detected in at least one animal in 19.4% of operations and 1.8% of indiv idual cows (II = 2,085). At the herd level, use of broadcaster spreaders wa s not a risk factor for C. coli infection. For Arcobacter, cows from 71% of daily operations (n = 31) and 14.3% of individual dairy cattle fecal sampl es (n = 1,682) were positive. At the herd level, for Arcobacter spp., feedi ng of alfalfa (P = 0.11) and use of individual waterers (P = 0.19) were pro tective. This is the first description of Arcobacter spp. in clinically hea lthy dairy cattle and the first attempt to correlate their presence with C. jejuni.