Abstract
Atelerix algirus is an invasive species in the Canary Islands (Spain). There are few studies about the zoonotic pathogens this species could be hosting; therefore, this study was focused on analyzing causative agents of diarrhea in humans in feces from hedgehogs. A total of 45 fecal samples obtained in Tenerife (Canary Islands) were analyzed in this study using Biofire FilmArray gastrointestinal panel with an integrated Biofire FilmArray system. Forty-two (93.33%) of the samples presented at least one of the pathogens detected by the panel. The prevalence of four bacteria stands out as for enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (71.11%), Salmonella (66.67%), Clostridioides difficile (33.33%), and Campylobacter sp. (22.22%), all of which were widely distributed along Tenerife. Besides, other pathogens were found, Cryptosporidium sp. and enterotoxigenic E. coli lt/st in 6.66% of the animals, Shigella/enteroinvasive E. coli in 4.44%, and Norovirus GI/GII, Plesiomonas shigelloides, and Vibrio sp. in 2.22%. Of the hedgehogs, 26.66% were hosting just one pathogen, and the others showed coinfection: 24.44% hosted two, 31.11% hosted three, and 11.11% hosted four or more. The close contact with hedgehogs may imply the transmission of not only one causative agent of diarrhea but also multiple agents, since coinfection is highly prevalent. The lack of management measurements for this animal in the Canary Islands, the common habit of adopting hedgehogs from wildlife without veterinary control, and the fact that most of the hedgehogs studied belonged to highly populated areas imply a high risk of transmission of pathogens to humans.
Highlights
The Algerian hedgehog, Atelerix algirus (Lereboullet, 1842), is an invasive species in the Canary Islands (Spain), located in NW Africa (13◦23′-18◦8′W and 27◦37′-29◦24′)
The results of this study show a wide distribution of causative agents of diarrhea in humans in hedgehogs of Tenerife, as pathogens were found in every municipality tested, and most of the animals tested, 42 of 45 (93.33%) were positive for at least one pathogen (Table 1 and Figure 1)
A total of 11 of the 22 pathogens included in the FilmArray gastrointestinal panel were recorded in the island of Tenerife including nine bacteria, enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli lt/st, Shigella/Enteroinvasive E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Vibrio sp., P. shigelloides, Clostridioides difficile, and one protozoa, Cryptosporidium sp.; and one virus, Norovirus GI/GII
Summary
The Algerian hedgehog, Atelerix algirus (Lereboullet, 1842), is an invasive species in the Canary Islands (Spain), located in NW Africa (13◦23′-18◦8′W and 27◦37′-29◦24′). It is not clear if the arrival of this mammal to the archipelago was accidental or intended, nowadays it seems to have colonized the islands of Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and, most recently, La Palma (1, 2). A recent study that took place in Spain found A. algirus specimens hosting Angiostrongylus cantonensis (5), a parasite highly distributed in rats and mollusk of Northern Tenerife (6, 7)
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