Abstract
The use of oral fluid (OF) to detect zoonotic pathogens in pigs has been only scarcely assessed. We evaluated OF as a potential specimen for detection by culture of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Yersinia enterocolitica, and the detection of antibodies against Salmonella spp. and hepatitis E virus (HEV) using commercial ELISAs. Samples from 33 pig farms were collected at the beginning and end of the fattening period. Results of the OF samples were compared with the results of serum samples and nasal swabs from individual pigs and pen floor fecal samples, using the Cohen kappa (κ) and the McNemar test. For Salmonella spp. antibodies, OF samples were negative, although the corresponding serum samples were positive. The detection of HEV antibodies in sera and OF had agreement at the first sampling, and poor and significant agreement at the second sampling (κ = 0.185, McNemar p = 0.238; κ = 0.088, McNemar p < 0.001). At both sampling times, the detection of MRSA in nasal swabs and OF showed agreement (κ = 0.466, McNemar p = 0.077; κ = 0.603, McNemar p = 1); agreement was seen for the detection of Y. enterocolitica in fecal and OF samples (κ = 0.012, McNemar p = 0.868; κ = 0.082, McNemar p = 0.061, respectively). According to the McNemar test, the use of pen-based OFs is more feasible for the detection of MRSA and Y. enterocolitica by culture than is detection of antibodies by commercial ELISA.
Highlights
The use of oral fluid (OF) to detect zoonotic pathogens in pigs has been only scarcely assessed
We evaluated OF as a potential specimen for detection by culture of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Yersinia enterocolitica, and the detection of antibodies against Salmonella spp. and hepatitis E virus (HEV) using commercial ELISAs
We investigated whether OF samples obtained under field conditions in pig herds on 33 fattening farms were suitable for the detection of antibodies against HEV and Salmonella spp. by commercial ELISAs
Summary
The use of oral fluid (OF) to detect zoonotic pathogens in pigs has been only scarcely assessed. We evaluated OF as a potential specimen for detection by culture of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Yersinia enterocolitica, and the detection of antibodies against Salmonella spp. and hepatitis E virus (HEV) using commercial ELISAs. Samples from 33 pig farms were collected at the beginning and end of the fattening period. According to the McNemar test, the use of pen-based OFs is more feasible for the detection of MRSA and Y. enterocolitica by culture than is detection of antibodies by commercial ELISA. The consumption of raw or undercooked pork and pork products can result in the transmission to humans of pathogens such as Salmonella spp. and Yersinia enterocolitica.[4,39] Hepatitis E is a disease transmitted via contaminated drinking water in developing countries with poor sanitary conditions, and a zoonotic disease; domestic pigs, wild boars, and perhaps other animal species are reservoirs for hepatitis E virus (HEV; Orthohepevirus A). Oral fluid (OF)-based testing offers an opportunity to gain pig herd health data at the farm in a simple and animal-friendly way.[30,33] Pigs are naturally attracted to new and flexible objects[42]; in OF-based sampling, the pigs transfer OFs while chewing a rope.[19,27,32,37]
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