Abstract
BackgroundBetween February and April 2016, a slight increase in mortality was observed in a colony consisting of 400 captive Seba’s short-tailed bats (Carollia perspicillata). These animals cohabited with other nocturnal animal species in a dome of a private zoo in Switzerland.ResultsGross and histological analysis of two (14.3%) out of the 13 animals submitted for necropsy within this period revealed a necrosuppurative pneumonia, hepatitis, splenitis, enterocolitis, and endometritis, with abundant intralesional colonies of Gram-negative rods. Yersinia (Y.) pseudotuberculosis serotype O:1 and biotype 1 belonging to the sequence type ST90 was isolated from the affected organs in both animals. Following this diagnosis, ¼ of the colony (99 animals) was culled and submitted for gross and histopathological analysis, and a bacterial culture selective for Yersinia spp. of lung, liver, and spleen was performed. From these 99 animals, one gravid female was tested and found to be positive for Y. pseudotuberculosis in the absence of clinical symptoms and histopathological lesions. PCR analysis of altogether three bacterial isolates for virulence factors revealed the presence of the ail gene, and one isolate was also positive for the virF and yadA plasmid genes.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that Carollia perspicillata are susceptible to lethal yersiniosis but do not represent a regular reservoir for Y. pseudotuberculosis. Culling of ¼ of the population was sufficient to limit the spread of this infection among the colony. Moreover, no infections were detected in cohabitant nocturnal animals and caretakers, indicating that the zoonotic risk in this case was low.
Highlights
Between February and April 2016, a slight increase in mortality was observed in a colony consisting of 400 captive Seba’s short-tailed bats (Carollia perspicillata)
The current report describes the detection of Y. pseudotuberculosis serotype O:1 infection in three out of 112 animals in an indoor-housed colony of captive C. perspicillata in a private zoo in Switzerland
Y. pseudotuberculosis infection is not associated with a statistically significant increase in mortality within C. perspicillata colony A slight mortality increase among bats of this species was observed between February and April 2016 during a birth peak
Summary
Y. pseudotuberculosis infection is not associated with a statistically significant increase in mortality within C. perspicillata colony A slight mortality increase among bats of this species was observed between February and April 2016 during a birth peak. The other animal was an adult male (ID2) that displayed multifocal white foci in the liver measuring approximately 1–2 μm in diameter at necropsy, while the lungs were reddened and of increased consistency Histopathological examination of both animals revealed a severe, multifocal to coalescing, acute, necrosuppurative hepatitis and pneumonia, with abundant intralesional. Additional histopathological lesions included a severe necrosuppurative enterocolitis, lymphadenitis, splenitis, stomatitis and glossitis, as well as an endometritis in the female (Fig. 1c and d) In both animals (1,4; 3% of the examined animals), a high load of Y. pseudotuberculosis was cultivated from the liver, and a low bacterial load was isolated from the lungs and kidneys. Out of the 99 clinically healthy animals that were captured and culled, Y. pseudotuberculosis was detected in a pooled organ sample comprising liver, lung and spleen from one clinically healthy female gravid bat in the absence of gross and histopathological lesions. No cases of Yersinia infection were detected among the animal caretakers
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
