Arcobacters are considered emerging foodborne pathogens frequently isolated from animal food products and various types of water. However, there is no data on the presence of Arcobacter spp. in fresh vegetables and given that the consumption of salads has increased, it could be interesting to monitoring its microbiological contamination. Therefore the objective of this research was to study the presence of Arcobacter spp. in fresh lettuces. Fifty fresh lettuces purchased from different local shops in Valencia (Spain) between January and July of 2009 were analyzed. The assay was performed simultaneously by PCR and cultural methods. Arcobacter sp. was detected in 10 of the 50 samples by PCR, but just in one of them the detection was possible without enrichment. A. butzleri was the only detected species by multiplex PCR. Seven samples were found to be positive also by culture. Nineteen isolates were obtained, being all of them identified as A. butzleri. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Arcobacter spp. detection in fresh vegetables such as lettuces. Although these foods are generally considered safe, given the large quantities consumed and the fact that further cooking is absent, they could be a potential public health risk.
