Study of Biofilm Formation Ability of Foodborne Arcobacter butzleri under Different Conditions

Abstract

The transmission of Arcobacter butzleri , an emerging food- and waterborne pathogen, is possibly favored by its ability to adhere to abiotic surfaces. In this study, we assessed the biofilm formation ability of 42 A. butzleri isolates recovered from different food products. Overall, nine isolates (21.4%) were able to adhere to polystyrene. Among them, a chicken-derived isolate was classified as strongly adherent. Based on the chi-square test, no relation was found between the adhesive abilities of the isolates and their source (P > 0.05). An aerobic atmosphere enhanced the adhesion ability of the majority of the adherent isolates (66.7%), because when tested in microaerobic conditions, a t test indicated that only three isolates increased their biofilm formation ability significantly (P < 0.05). In addition, seven (77.8%) of these nine isolates were able to adhere to glass surfaces, and viable cells were recovered from all the stainless steel coupons tested. Therefore, our results confirm the biofilm formation ability of A. butzleri , which may be influenced by the incubation atmosphere and the abiotic surface.

Genomic Characterization of Arcobacter butzleri Isolated From Shellfish: Novel Insight Into Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence Determinants

“…A. butzleri is the most prevalent species of this genus in meat products (chicken, pork, beef, lamb), milk, cheese, and shellfish (Figueras et al, 2011a,b; Patyal et al, 2011; Shah et al, 2012; Hausdorf et al, 2013; Lee and Choi, 2013; Rahimi, 2014; Ramees et al, 2014; Lehmann et al, 2015; Ferreira et al, 2016). The presence and persistence in these niches, also endowed by the ability to form biofilms (Ferreira et al, 2013; Girbau et al, 2017), favor its spread and transmission to shellfish and farm animal, and increase the risk associated with food consumption. Although few fragmented studies have been carried out to assess the occurrence of this species in shellfish, A. butzleri has been found as the most common species in bivalve molluscs (mussels, clams, oysters, etc.)…”

The ability of <em>Aliarcobacter butzleri</em> strains isolated from foods of animal origin in Costa Rica to form biofilm

“…The ability to form biofilm can vary greatly among strains of the same species depending on extrinsic factors such as nutrient availability, environmental conditions and surface properties (Girbau et al , 2017 ). In this respect, it is important to point out that even weakly adherent isolates can produce biofilm and therefore be difficult to eliminate from the food chain (Srey et al , 2013 ).…”

“…The ability of bacteria to adhere to and grow on abiotic surfaces is a critical issue for industries with suitable environments for biofilm formation (Girbau et al 2017 ) including food industries, where organic and inorganic residues easily accumulate. Product contact with these biofilms can lead to health problems if contaminated by pathogenic bacteria (Mafu et al 2011 ).…”

“…Aliarcobacter butzleri is a zoonotic emerging food and waterborne pathogen widely distributed in nature, frequently isolated from water, animals, and foods of animal (Girbau et al , 2017 ) and vegetable origin (Mottola et al , 2016; Gonzalez et al , 2019; Girbau et al , 2017 ). It has been commonly isolated from food processing and handling facilities (Ferreria et al , 2013).…”

Isolation, identification and genotypic and phenotypic characterization of >i<Arcobacter>/i< spp. isolated from Minas frescal cheese and raw milk

“…The average and the statistical difference among them are shown in Table 3. The strains evaluated exhibited a significant difference, as observed by Ferreira et al (2013); Girbau et al (2017) and Ferreira et al (2018), that found significant difference among the Arcobacter strains studied. The LMG 10828 T strain, was also evaluated by Ferreira et al (2013) and, as in the present investigation, showed high ability to form biofilm.…”