Abstract
Sheep feces can carry a high concentration of pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria, which potentially may contaminate wool as well as the shearers or wool manipulators through direct contact. A pilot study was carried out to determine the presence of bacterial DNA in feces and the degree of bacterial contamination in wool in two species of ruminants. Fourteen 2-month old lambs and 14 kids (7 male and 7 female), uncastrated, no twins, with their mothers, were randomly selected at weaning from a free flock grazing on naturalized pasture of Los Rios region, Chile. Fecal and wool samples were taken once and analyzed for genomic DNA of Salmonella typhimurium containing the virulence plasmid spv, Eschrichia coli serotype O157, Clostridium perfringens type C containing α toxin and Mycobacterium avium sp paratuberculosis containing the IS900 insertion element. The results showed that lamb and kids feces had higher contents of bacterial DNA for E. coli O157 and SalmT than lamb wool, although only one lamb showed these two bacteria on its wool. The bacterial species influenced the DNA expression for 16S in both, feces (P=0.05) and wool (P=0.0006) and for E. coli O157 and SalmT only in feces (P<0.0001). The sex was associated with E. coli detection in lambs feces (P<0.0007) and in kids feces (P<0.05). The values obtained for MAP IS900 and Cpa DNA contents, considering both species and sex, were undetectable. In conclusion, lamb and kids feces should potentially contaminate wool especially by Eschrichia coli O157 and Salmonella typhimurium, representing a potential health risk and public health concern, especially for shearers and wool handlers.
Highlights
Ovine feces are known to carry a large range of microbial indicators and pathogens (Moriarty et al 2011b), which can survive for a long time on pasture [1], slurry and soil [2,3,4]
The aim of the present study was to determine the presence of E. coli O157, Salmonella enterica subgroup enterica serotype typhimurium (SalmT), Clostridium perfringens Type C (Cpa) and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) in feces and wool at the weaning period among grazing lambs and kids at weaning in grazing lambs and kids and its association with animal sex, considering the different management and normal behavior that they have, as a possible public health problem
Instead of the higher presence of E. coli O157 in feces from female lambs and kids, these bacteria were only detected in one female lamb in the same amount than in feces
Summary
Ovine feces are known to carry a large range of microbial indicators and pathogens (Moriarty et al 2011b), which can survive for a long time on pasture [1], slurry and soil [2,3,4]. Cattle are considered as an important reservoir of E. coli serotype O157:H7 (E. coli O157) for humans, small ruminants may shed bacterial pathogens to humans [5,6,7]. Examples the latter are: E. coli O157 [7, 8], Clostridium difficile [9], Campylobacter sp [7, 10], Salmonella sp [7], Brucella mellitensis or Coxiella burnetti [11]. The aim of the present study was to determine the presence of E. coli O157, Salmonella enterica subgroup enterica serotype typhimurium (SalmT), Clostridium perfringens Type C (Cpa) and MAP in feces and wool at the weaning period among grazing lambs and kids at weaning in grazing lambs and kids and its association with animal sex, considering the different management and normal behavior that they have, as a possible public health problem
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