Abstract: Arcobacter is an emerging foodborne zoonotic pathogen. It was first known as ‘aerotolerant campylobacters’ due to its morphological resemblance and close relatedness to the genus Campylobacter. In the Arcobacter genus, A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus and A. skirrowii are predominantly associated with human diseases (gastroenteritis, severe diarrhea and bacteremia). Arcobacter has been reported to be widely distributed in livestock and poultry products, and the environment. Its high prevalence in livestock and poultry products may be ascribed to post-slaughter contamination due to either the contaminated production facilities or processed water. Arcobacter is difficult to differentiate from Campylobacter due to their high physiological similarity. Molecular biological methods have been popular for laboratorial diagnosis of Arcobacters at the genus and species level. As an emerging foodborne zoonotic pathogen, Arcobacter has been a major concern for researchers. However, unlike other common foodborne pathogens, the current knowledge about Arcobacter is still limited. This review summarizes the current knowledge concerning Arcobacter distribution and its epidemiological characteristics as well as recent advances in its laboratorial diagnosis. Our aim is to provide valuable information for researchers interested in this area.

Key words: Arcobacter, foodborne pathogen, prevalence, epidemiological characteristics, laboratorial diagnosis