Prevalence ofArcobacterSpecies among Humans, Belgium, 2008–2013

We examined fecal samples from 6,774 patients with enteritis in Belgium, 2008Belgium, -2013.Members of the genus Arcobacter were the fourth most common pathogen group isolated, and the isolation rate was higher than previously reported.Culturing Arcobacter in a microbiology laboratory is feasible and should thus be tested for in cases of diarrheal disease.C ampylobacteriosis is the most frequently reported zoonosis in industrialized countries with an increasing incidence during 2007-2011 (1).In this study, bacteria of the Arcobacter genus, which is closely related to the Campylobacter genus, comprised the fourth most common pathogenic group isolated from stool specimens of patients with acute enteritis in Ghent, Belgium.Bacteria species of the genus Arcobacter were first isolated from aborted bovine and porcine fetuses in 1977 (2).Based on similar phenotypic characteristics, they were originally classified as aerotolerant Campylobacter spp., until a separate genus was introduced in 1991 (2).Since then, 18 species have been identified and new species are pending.Members of the genus Arcobacter are aerotolerant gram-negative bacteria and able to grow at temperatures <30°C, which differentiate them from the Campylobacter species.The species A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, A. skirrowii, A. cibarius, A. thereius, and A. trophiarum have been identified in livestock worldwide and have been isolated from food of animal origin.Though these species have been associated with illness in farm animals, they are also known to colonize healthy animals (3).Arcobacter have been classified as emergent pathogens by the International Commission on Microbial Specifications for Foods (4).Currently, 3 species have been reported to infect humans.Contaminated drinking water