First reported case of Aliarcobacter butzleri gastroenteritis in a pediatric patient in Greece.

Aliarcobacter butzleri (formerly Arcobacter butzleri) is an increasingly reported cause of gastrointestinal infections in humans. Here we report the first reported case of A. butzleri gastroenteritis in a pediatric patient in Greece in 2024 manifesting as self-limited inflammatory diarrhea. The pathogen was identified by MALDI-TOF MS following isolation on CIN agar plate. A. butzleri is a ubiquitous organism that is mainly transmitted to humans via contaminated food products from domestic animals, particularly poultry. Pathogen recovery remains challenging due to the lack of standardized protocols for isolation and identification. The presented case underscores the need for increased awareness of A. butzleri as a potential causative agent of acute inflammatory diarrhea and emphasizes the importance of implementing specific diagnostic protocols to improve detection rates of this emerging pathogen.