Microbiological survey of birds of prey pellets

A microbiological survey of 73 pellets collected from different birds of prey species housed at the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center of Napoli (southern Italy) was performed. Pellets were analyzed by culture and biochemical methods as well as by serotyping and polymerase chain reaction. We isolated a wide range of bacteria some of them also pathogens for humans (i.e. Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium, Campylobacter coli, Escherichia coli O serogroups). This study highlights the potential role of birds of prey as asymptomatic carriers of pathogenic bacteria which could be disseminated in the environment not only through the birds of prey feces but also through their pellets.     

Campylobacter infection in wild artiodactyl species from southern Spain: Occurrence,risk factors and antimicrobial susceptibility

A cross-sectional study was performed to assess the occurrence of Campylobacter species and to identify potential associated risk factors for wild artiodactyl species in southern Spain. Campylobacter species were isolated in 55 of 363 (15.2%) faecal samples. Campylobacter was identified in faeces from wild boar (49/126; 38.9%), red deer (5/179; 2.8%) and mouflon (1/13; 7.7%) but not from fallow deer (0/45). The isolated Campylobacter species were identified as C. jejuni (2 isolates; 3.6%), C. coli (11 isolates; 20.0%) and C. lanienae (37 isolates; 67.3%). Five isolates (9.1%) could not be identified at the species level. This report is the first to describe C. lanienae infection in wild ruminant species. Resistance to erythromycin (4.8%), ciprofloxacin (37.5%), tetracycline (52.9%) and streptomycin (55%) were detected. C. lanienae presented a significantly higher number of susceptible isolates to ciprofloxacin and tetracycline than C. coli. Due to the low number of positive wild ruminants, a Generalised Estimating Equations model was only carried out for wild boar. The model indicated that the risk factors associated with Campylobacter infection were the density of wild boar (>10/100 ha) (OR: 3.05; CI_95%: 2.2–4.3), the presence of artificial waterholes (OR: 3.67; CI_95%: 1.3–10.5) and the winter season (OR: 3.30; CI_95%: 1.9–5.8). Campylobacter infection is widespread in wild boar populations in southern Spain. These findings suggest that wild artiodactyls, particularly wild boar, constitute a reservoir of Campylobacter species, including resistant and multi-resistant strains, which may be of public health concern.     

Genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter and Salmonella strains isolated from decoys and raptors

Infections caused by thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. are the leading causes of human gastroenteritis worldwide. Wild birds can act as reservoirs of both pathogens. A survey was carried out to determine the prevalence, genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance of thermotolerant Campylobacter and Salmonella in waterfowl used as decoys and wild raptors in Andalusia (Southern Spain). The overall prevalence detected for Campylobacter was 5.9% (18/306; CI_95%: 3.25–8.52) in decoys and 2.3% (9/387; CI_95%: 0.82–3.83) in wild raptors. Isolates were identified as C. jejuni, C. coli and C. lari in both bird groups. Salmonella was isolated in 3.3% (10/306; CI_95%: 2.3–4.3) and 4.6% (18/394; CI_95%: 3.5–5.6) of the decoys and raptors, respectively. Salmonella Enteritidis and Typhimurium were the most frequently identified serovars, although Salmonella serovars Anatum, Bredeney, London and Mikawasima were also isolated. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis of isolates showed higher genetic diversity within Campylobacter species compared to Salmonella serovars. Campylobacter isolates showed resistance to gentamicin, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline, while resistance to erythromycin and tetracycline was found in Salmonella isolates. The results indicate that both decoys and raptors can act as natural carriers of Campylobacter and Salmonella in Spain, which may have important implications for public and animal health.     

Bacteria and antibiotic resistance detection in fractures of wild birds from wildlife rehabilitation centres in Spain

Anatomic adaptations make birds more prone to open fractures with exposed bone parts losing vascularization. As a result of this exposure, fractures are colonized by different microorganisms, including different types of bacteria, both aerobic and anaerobic, causing osteomyelitis in many cases. For this reason, antibiotic treatment is common. However, carrying out antibiotic treatment without carrying out a previous antibiogram may contribute to increased resistance against antibiotics, especially in migratory wild birds. In this paper, bacterial counts regarding fracture type, bacterial identification and antibiotic resistance have been analysed in wild birds from wildlife rehabilitation centres in Spain. The results obtained showed that open fractures had higher bacterial counts (CFU/mL) than closed ones. Bacteria in family Enterobacteriaceae, identified were Escherichia spp., Enterobacter spp., Shigella spp., Hafnia alvei, Proteus mirabilis, Leclercia adecarboxylata and Pantoea agglomerans. Other bacteria present in wild birds’ fractures were Aeromonas spp., Enterococcus spp. Bacillus wiedmannii and Staphylococcus sciuri. All species found presented resistance to at least one of the antibiotics used. Wild birds can be implicated in the introduction, maintenance and global spreading of antibiotic resistant bacteria and represent an emerging public health concern. Results obtained in this paper support the idea that it is necessary to take this fact into account before antibiotic administration to wild animals, since it could increase the number of bacteria resistant to antibiotics.     

胶东地区不同家禽MSSA和MRSA的流行分布与耐药性分析

通过了解胶东地区肉鸡、蛋鸡和水禽(鸭、鹅)中甲氧西林敏感/耐药金黄色葡萄球菌(MSSA/MRSA)的流行情况及耐药现状,为临床合理用药、有效控制耐药菌株的流行传播提供依据。采用细菌常规分离培养、质谱/PCR鉴定、微量肉汤稀释法和spa分型等方法,对2021年8月至10月在青岛地区采集的2730份禽源咽拭子进行MSSA及MRSA分离鉴定、spa分型及药敏试验,利用SPSS26.0软件和BioNumericsv7.6软件进行数据处理分析。2730份禽源咽拭子中共获得金黄色葡萄球菌742株(27.18%),其中MSSA 528株(19.34%),MRSA 214株(7.84%)。三种家禽菌株分离率依次为水禽(38.33%)、蛋鸡(28.45%)、肉鸡(20.33%)。351株代表性金黄色葡萄球菌共获得16种spa型别,MSSA(70.80%)和MRSA(95.30%)均是以t899为主。部分型别仅在蛋鸡(t010、t002、t3155)或肉鸡(t571、t011)或水禽(t1793、t5268、t267)中分离到。MSSA和MRSA对青霉素类、喹诺酮类等多种药物显示出高水平耐药,分别对8种和...     

Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella isolates in Pekin ducks from South Korea

An investigation was carried out to determine the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Salmonella serotypes at South Korean duck farms. A total of 7119 samples collected from 72 duck farms in five provinces were examined from 2011 to 2012. The overall prevalence of Salmonella serotypes was 43.4% (69/159) in duck flocks from 65.2% (47/72) of the duck farms. Eighty-five strains were isolated from 69 duck flocks. Three serotypes of Salmonella enterica were identified such as S. Typhimurium (39/85), S. Enteritidis (44/85), and S. London (2/85). The prevalence of Salmonella infection decreased significantly in 3-week-old ducks compared to that in 1-week-old ducks (P < 0.05). All isolates except one were resistant to at least one antimicrobial and 27% of the isolates were resistant to 5–16 antimicrobials. Our findings provide baseline information on the degree of Salmonella infection and distribution of Salmonella serotypes in ducks and indicate that ducks should be considered an important source of foodborne pathogens.     

Prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in enteric Escherichia coli from domestic pets and assessment of associated risk markers using a generalized linear mixed model

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global public health problem, which is caused by the use of antimicrobials in both human and animal medical practice. The objectives of the present cross-sectional study were as follows: (1) to determine the prevalence of resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from the feces of pets from the Porto region of Portugal against 19 antimicrobial agents and (2) to assess the individual, clinical and environmental characteristics associated with each pet as risk markers for the AMR of the E. coli isolates.     

Prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among Salmonella on midwest and northeast USA dairy farms

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among Salmonella isolated from dairy herds in New York, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin, USA. Serogroup and antimicrobial susceptibility characteristics were determined for Salmonella from cattle and environmental samples collected during August 2000–October 2001 as part of a longitudinal study where 129 herds were visited at 2-month intervals. Salmonella isolates were tested (using a broth microdilution method) for susceptibility to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, ampicillin, ceftiofur, ceftriaxone, cephalothin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, kanamycin, nalidixic acid, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Of the 1506 isolates tested for minimum inhibitory concentrations to these 14 antimicrobial agents, 81.2% were pan-susceptible and for most herds (81.6%) the predominant antimicrobial resistance pattern was pan-susceptible. At least 1 Salmonella isolate resistant to 5 or more antimicrobial agents was found on 23.6% of herds. This resistance phenotype was most common among serogroups B and E1 and among samples from calves and farmer-designated sick cows. Resistant samples most frequently exhibited resistance to tetracycline, streptomycin, and/or ampicillin. No samples were resistant to ceftriaxone (though 13 were in the intermediate range), and very few samples were resistant to ciprofloxacin (n = 1), nalidixic acid (n = 5), or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (n = 7).     

Prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni in selected domestic and wild birds in Louisiana

Prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni was determined in a selected population of domestic and free-living birds submitted for necropsy to the Louisiana State Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. The 445 cases examined included 13 orders of birds and yielded C. jejuni in 45 cases, representing an isolation rate of 10.1%. Prevalence was highest in Galliformes (25.2%), followed by Anseriformes (12.9%) and Columbiformes (8.3%). Only one isolation was made out of 179 Psittaciformes examined. Penner serotypes 1, 2, 4, and 16 were most commonly identified among the C. jejuni isolates. This study emphasizes the importance of Galliformes as reservoirs of C. jejuni. The commonality of these serotypes with isolates derived from humans suggests the zoonotic potential of Galliformes in relation to human campylobacteriosis. The isolation rate of 12.9% in Anseriformes implicates free-living and migratory waterfowl as carriers of C. jejuni. Results confirm that Psittaciformes represent a low risk of C. jejuni infection in humans.     

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter and Salmonella in layer flocks in Honshu,Japan

Campylobacter and non-typhoidal Salmonella are the major causes of bacterial gastrointestinal infections in humans. Although antimicrobial therapy is typically not recommended in many cases of these infections, it may be life-saving in patients with severe symptoms. Since chicken eggs and meat derived from layers are destined for human consumption, we investigated the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of these two bacterial genera in 82 layer flocks at chicken processing plants in Honshu, Japan. Campylobacter was isolated from 77 flocks (93.9%). Resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin was documented in 42.3 (30/71), 16.9 (12/71), and 14.1% (10/71) of Campylobacter jejuni, respectively. Multilocus-sequence typing identified ST4389 and ST5262 as the most frequent C. jejuni sequence types. In C. coli, resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin was found in 20.0 (7/35), 20.0 (7/35), and 25.7% (9/35), respectively. The most frequent sequence type in C. coli was ST8292. Erythromycin resistance was not observed among Campylobacter species. Salmonella was isolated from 14 flocks (17.1%). The two most frequent serovars were Salmonella Corvallis and S. Braenderup. Neither S. Enteritidis nor S. Infantis were isolated. Streptomycin resistance was observed in six isolates (26.1%), and all isolates were susceptible to cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin. Thus, chicken eggs and meat derived from layers are possible sources of these bacterial infections in humans. The antimicrobial susceptibility of these isolates was maintained, reflecting restrictions on the use of antimicrobial agents on layers.     

High diversity of coagulase negative staphylococci species in wild boars,with low antimicrobial resistance rates but detection of relevant resistance genes

This work was focused to determine the prevalence and the species diversity of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) in wild boars, and to study their antimicrobial resistance phenotype and genotype. Nasal samples of 371 wild boars from six Spanish regions were collected for CoNS recovery. The identification was performed by MALDI-TOF mass-spectrometry. Antimicrobial susceptibility for eight antimicrobial agents was studied by disc-diffusion method and the presence of 31 antimicrobial resistance genes by PCR.CoNS were detected in nasal samples of 136/371 animals tested (36.6%), and 161 isolates were obtained (1–3/animal); a high diversity of species was found (n = 17), with predominance of S. sciuri (n = 64), S. xylosus (n = 21) and S. chromogenes (n = 17). Among CoNS isolates, 22.4% showed resistance to at least one antimicrobial tested. Tetracycline-resistance phenotype was the most frequently detected (10.5%), generally mediated by tet(K) gene [associated or not with tet(L)]. Other relevant resistance genes were identified including unusual ones [mecA, erm(B), erm(F), mphC, erm(43), msr(A)/msr(B), lnu(A), dfrG, fexA, and cat_pC221].This is the first study in which CoNS isolates from wild boars are analysed. The knowledge of antimicrobial phenotype and genotype of CoNS in natural ecosystems is highly important since these staphylococcal species can act as vectors of relevant antimicrobial resistance mechanisms.     

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter coli isolated from fattening pigs in France

Campylobacter are a leading cause of human diarrhea. The usual source of infection is contaminated food, particularly poultry but pork has also been described. The veterinary use of antimicrobial drugs has been suggested to be largely responsible for resistance in human isolates of this zoonotic pathogen. A study was carried out to investigate the occurrence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter isolated from French fattening pigs. From March 1998 to June 1999, stomach samples were collected at slaughter from 240 fattening pigs originating from 24 different farms. Half of the pigs were found to be positive for Campylobacter but considerable variation was observed between farms. Isolates all belong to the Campylobacter coli species. Susceptibilities of the strains were determined for five antimicrobial drugs using agar dilution. Resistance to tetracycline and erythromycin was high (79 and 55%, respectively). For nalidixic acid, enrofloxacin and ampicillin, resistance was observed in 34, 15 and 20% of the isolates, respectively. More than one-third of the strains was resistant to at least three antimicrobial drugs. A Thr86Ile modification in GyrA was observed in the enrofloxacin-resistant strains studied. The multiresistant strains analyzed expressed the multidrug transporter CmeB at a high level. Results indicated a high prevalence of C. coli in the stomach of the French pigs examined. In addition, a high proportion of the strains was resistant to antimicrobial drugs, particularly to tetracycline and erythromycin, or were multiresistant.     

Prevalence of haematozoa in birds of prey in Catalonia, north-east Spain.

Blood samples from birds of prey, 95 Strigiformes and 190 Falconiformes, were examined for the presence of haematozoan parasites. The birds had been admitted to a raptor recovery centre in Catalonia, north-east Spain. Parasites were counted in positive smears. A second blood sample was obtained from 99 birds at least seven days after their arrival at the centre. Haematozoa were detected in all seven species of Strigiformes and in nine of 19 species of Falconiformes. The overall prevalences in the two groups were significantly different, 30.5 per cent and 46.3 per cent in the nocturnal and diurnal raptors, respectively. Eleven species of haematozoan parasites were identified. The genus most commonly detected in members of the nocturnal Strigiformes was Leucocytozoon, followed by Haemoproteus, Plasmodium and Trypanosoma. In the diurnal Falconiformes only Leucocytozoon and Haemoproteus were detected. The highest infection rates were found in Accipiter nisus (sparrow hawks), Accipiter gentilis (goshawks) and Athene noctua (little owls). Relapses were detected in 9 per cent of the birds sampled twice. The highest intensity of infection (6.2 per cent) was observed in a Buteo buteo (buzzard) infected with Haemoproteus.     

Characterization of Campylobacter spp. from wild birds

Bacteria of the genus Campylobacter were isolated from 28 Rooks (Corvus frugilegus), 1 Red Kite (Milvus milvus), 1 Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), 1 Coot (Fulica atra), 1 Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) and 1 Northern Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). Altogether, C. jejuni biovar 1, was isolated 19x, C. jejuni biovar 2 8x and C. coli 5x. Among C. jejuni biovar 1 and 2 there were 5 isolates tolerating a content of 1.5% NaCl in the medium. H2S proof of 3 C. jejuni biovar 2 and 1 C. coli isolates resulted positive or negative dependent on incubation time of the used bacterial inoculum. Concerning Rooks the findings indicate that nestlings are more often infected with campylobacters than older birds. Only 1 campylobacter isolate could be recovered from altogether 54 birds of prey although 16 Buzzards (Buteo buteo) were investigated as nestlings.     

Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Campylobacter in broiler flocks in Japan

Campylobacter was isolated from 67 (47.2%) of 142 broiler flocks between September 2009 and February 2010. The prevalence of Campylobacter in broiler flocks was significantly lower during January and February than it was from September to December. Campylobacter colonization was more common in flocks that were not provided with a disinfected water supply, which was consistent with the findings of a previous study. The prevalence of antimicrobial drug‐resistant Campylobacter spp. was investigated, and the minimum inhibitory concentrations of eight antimicrobial agents were determined for 122 Campylobacter jejuni isolates and 46 Campylobacter coli isolates from broiler flocks between 2007 and 2010. In this study, 29.5% (36/122) of C. jejuni isolates and 41.3% (19/46) of C. coli isolates were resistant to enrofloxacin (ERFX), whereas all isolates were susceptible to erythromycin. Furthermore, the ERFX‐resistant isolates were tested for susceptibility to other classes of antimicrobial agents, and 55.6% (20/36) of ERFX‐resistant C. jejuni isolates and 47.4% (9/19) of ERFX‐resistant C. coli isolates were resistant to at least one of aminobenzyl penicillin, dihydrostreptomycin and oxytetracycline. To avoid an impact of antimicrobial drug‐resistant Campylobacter spp. on the efficacy of antimicrobial treatment for human campylobacteriosis, prudent use of antimicrobial agents is a requisite. The use of antimicrobial agents should be accompanied by various approaches such as prevention of Campylobacter colonization in broiler flocks with the aim of lowering the occurrence of Campylobacter infection in humans.     

Antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter spp. isolated from Ontario sheep flocks and associations between antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance

The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in faecal Campylobacter spp. from lambs and adult sheep and associations between antimicrobial use (AMU) and AMR. A total of 275 faecal samples collected during initial and final visits from 51 sheep flocks, including one feedlot, across southern Ontario were tested for the presence of Campylobacter spp. Campylobacter jejuni was detected in 52% (143/275) of the faecal samples, Campylobacter coli in 7% (19/275), Campylobacter lari in 1% (2/275) and 2% (4/275) were non-speciated Campylobacter. Broth microdilution was used to test antimicrobial susceptibility of 162 isolates to nine antimicrobials. Campylobacter jejuni isolates (n = 142) were resistant to tetracycline (39%), ciprofloxacin (4%), nalidixic acid (4%) and telithromycin (1%). C. coli isolates (n = 19) were resistant to tetracycline (74%), and azithromycin, clindamycin, erythromycin, and telithromycin (5%). The C. lari isolate displayed resistance to nalidixic acid. No statistically significant associations were found between AMU and AMR during multivariate modelling in this study.     

Prevalence,species distribution and antimicrobial resistance patterns of methicillin-resistant staphylococci in Lithuanian pet animals

Background

The bacterial genus Staphylococcus consists of many species that causes infections in pet animals. Antimicrobial resistant staphylococci cause infections that are difficult to treat and they are important from the point of one health perspective. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (MRS) species, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in diseased pet animals (Group A) and kennel dogs (Group B) in Lithuania and to characterize the isolates according to their antimicrobial resistance.

Results

Twenty-one MRS isolates were obtained from 395 clinical samples (5.3 %; CI 95 % 3.5-8.0) of Group A animals. Sixteen, four and one isolates were from dogs, cats and a pet rabbit, respectively. The mecA gene was present in 20 isolates, whereas one isolate was positive for the mecC gene. Twenty-one MRS isolates (20.0 %; CI 95 % 13.5-28.6) were obtained from the vagina of female dogs (n = 105) (Group B). All isolates carried the mecA gene. Twelve MRS species were isolated of which S. pseudintermedius was the most common (18/42) followed by S. haemolyticus (8/42) and S. lentus (4/42). MRSA was not found. All MRS strains were susceptible to vancomycin, linezolid, daptomycin and quinupristin/dalfopristin. Resistance to tetracycline (16/21), clindamycin (15/21) and erythromycin (14/21) was the most common types of resistance in Group A animals. Three isolates also demonstrated resistance to rifampin. Resistance toward gentamicin (16/21), ciprofloxacin (15/21), macrolides (15/21) and tetracycline (12/21) was the most common in kennel dogs (Group B). The most common genes encoding resistance to antimicrobials (excluding beta-lactams) in isolates from Group A pets were tetK (21/42), aph(3′)-IIIa (11/42) and aac(6'')-Ie-aph(2'''')-Ia (9/42).

Conclusions

A wide range of MRS species were found in pet animals in Lithuania. MRSA was not found.     

弯曲菌耐药性的研究进展

弯曲菌耐药性已经成为全球关注的重点,尤其是对氟喹诺酮类和大环内酯类的耐药性,在人和动物表现更为严重。本文对人和动物弯曲菌临床耐药性的状况、生物杀菌剂耐药性和环境因素在弯曲菌耐药性的获得与传播中的作用等方面进行综述。     

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter in raw milk in the selected areas of Poland

During the recent years, an immense increase in the number of food poisoning cases in people caused by Campylobacter (C.) species has occurred. Raw milk, next to poultry meat, is considered the most frequent cause of food poisoning in people caused by the subject bacteria, although it is not always possible to isolate Campylobacter cells from the incriminated milk. Most probably this difficulty is caused by low concentration of the pathogen in milk at the level of 2/3 cells/ml although even such low concentration represents risk to human health. The present study was aimed at determining the occurence of Campylobacter bacteria in milk originating from selected regions of Poland. The isolation method applied in this work was effective in recovering as few as 0.1 cell of Campylobacter per g of food. Among 150 bulk milk samples tested, Campylobacter spp. was isolated from 7 (4.6%) ones. The biochemical identification of the isolated strains conducted by means of conventional biochemical tests as well as by applying the API - Campy tests revealed that all the isolates belonged to the C. jejuni species. Determination of resistance to antibiotics was performed by means of the diffusion disks method for the following antibiotics: gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, doxycyclin and tetracycline. Among 7 isolates tested, all were susceptible to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin and gentamicin, 28.5% to doxycyclin and 14.2% to tetracycline and ciprofloxacin.