Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in Wild European Starlings at a Kansas Cattle Feedlot

Thumbnail Image
Date
2009-12-01
Authors
Gaukler, Shannon
Linz, George
Sherwood, Julie
Dyer, Neil
Bleier, William
Wannemuehler, Yvonne
Nolan, Lisa
Logue, Catherine
Major Professor
Advisor
Committee Member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Authors
Person
Nolan, Lisa
Professor Emeritus
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Organizational Unit
Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine
Our faculty promote the understanding of causes of infectious disease in animals and the mechanisms by which diseases develop at the organismal, cellular and molecular levels. Veterinary microbiology also includes research on the interaction of pathogenic and symbiotic microbes with their hosts and the host response to infection.
Journal Issue
Is Version Of
Versions
Series
Department
Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine
Abstract

The prevalence of Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Mycobacterium avium subsp.paratuberculosis isolated from the feces of wild European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) humanely trapped at a feedlot in central Kansas was assessed. All E. coli and Salmonellaisolates recovered were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System panels and the E. coli isolates were classified as to their content of genes associated with pathogenic E. coli of birds and cattle, including cvaC, iroN2, ompTp, hlyF2, eitC, iss, iutA, ireA, papC, stxI, stxII, sta, K99, F41, and eae.Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis were not detected and Salmonella was isolated from only three samples, two of which displayed antimicrobial resistance. Approximately half of the E. coli isolates were resistant to antimicrobial agents with 96% showing resistance to tetracycline. Only one isolate was positive for a single gene associated with bovine pathogenic E. coli. An interesting finding of this study was that 5% of the E. coli isolates tested met the criteria established for identification as avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC). Thus these findings suggest that starlings are not a significant source of Salmonella spp., Mycobacterium avium subsp.paratuberculosis, E. coli O157, or other shiga toxin–producing E. coli in this feedlot. However, they may have the potential to spread APEC, an important pathogen of poultry and a potential pathogen to human beings.

Comments

This article is from Avian Diseases 53, no. 4 (2009): 544–551, doi:10.1637/8920-050809-Reg.1.

Description
Keywords
Citation
DOI
Copyright
Collections