Abstract
Background: The aim of the study was to determine whether free-living birds belonging to game species whose meat is used for human consumption can constitute a reservoir of pathogenic Campylobacter strains, spreading these bacteria to other hosts or directly contributing to human infection. Methods: A total of 91 cloacal swabs were taken from different species of wildlife waterfowl to estimate the Campylobacter prevalence, the genetic diversity of the isolates, and the presence of virulence genes and to evaluate the antimicrobial resistance. Results: The presence of Campylobacter spp. was confirmed in 32.9% of samples. Based on flaA-SVR sequencing, a total of 19 different alleles among the tested Campylobacter isolates were revealed. The virulence genes involved in adhesion were detected at high frequencies among Campylobacter isolates regardless of the host species. The highest resistance was observed for ciprofloxacin. The resistance rates to erythromycin and tetracycline were observed at the same level. Conclusions: These results suggest that wildlife waterfowl belonging to game species may constitute a reservoir of Campylobacter, spreading these bacteria to other hosts or directly contributing to human disease. The high distribution of virulence-associated genes among wildlife waterfowl Campylobacter isolates make them potentially able to induce infection in humans.
Highlights
Free-living birds, including migratory species, can become vectors for a wide range of microorganisms that can be transmissible to other animals and humans [1]
This study aimed to determine (i) the prevalence rate of Campylobacter in wildlife waterfowl belonging to game species, (ii) the genetic diversity, (iii) the prevalence of virulence genes related to adherence, invasion cytotoxicity and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), as well as the antibiotic resistance profile in the investigated Campylobacter isolates
Wildlife waterfowl may play a role in the spread of campylobacteriosis through fecal contamination of the environment, feed, and surface water
Summary
Free-living birds, including migratory species, can become vectors for a wide range of microorganisms that can be transmissible to other animals and humans [1]. Campylobacter spp. commonly inhabit the intestines of avian species, as their body temperature provides an optimal environment for the growth of the organism These bacteria are found in both poultry and wild bird feces [7,8]. Many molecular methods have been developed to investigate the diversity within Campylobacter isolates, including a sequence analysis of the short variable region (SVR) of the flaA gene This highly discriminatory method is widely used for a better understanding of Campylobacter population structures [11,12]. The aim of the study was to determine whether free-living birds belonging to game species whose meat is used for human consumption can constitute a reservoir of pathogenic Campylobacter strains, spreading these bacteria to other hosts or directly contributing to human infection. The high distribution of virulence-associated genes among wildlife waterfowl Campylobacter isolates make them potentially able to induce infection in humans
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