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Clune T, Bruce M, Glanville E, Campbell AJD, Lockwood A, Hancock S, Thompson AN, Beetson S, Brookes D, Trengove C, O'Handley R, Jacobson C. Seropositivity to
Campylobacter
and association with abortion and lamb mortality in maiden ewes from Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria. Aust Vet J 2022; 100:397-406. [PMID: 35665919 PMCID: PMC9544749 DOI: 10.1111/avj.13173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This case‐control study investigated associations between Campylobacter fetus or Campylobacter jejuni titre and reproductive outcomes in 22 flocks of Merino and non‐Merino maiden ewes aged 1–2 years old. Campylobacter titres were also determined for multiparous ewes aged 3 years or older on the same farms. C. fetus ‘positivity’ (titre ≥1:80) was detected for 12% (57/462; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 9.6 to 15.6) of maiden ewes and 31% (65/210; 95% CI 25.0 to 37.4) of mature ewes. The odds for failing to rear a lamb in C. fetus‐‘exposed’ maiden ewes (titre ≥1:10) was 2.01 times that of seronegative ewes (95% CI 1.09 to 3.77; P = 0.027), but there was no association between C. fetus‐‘positivity’ (titre ≥1:80) and failure to rise (OR 1.69; 95% CI 0.77 to 3.76; P = 0.191). C. fetus abortions were confirmed with microbial culture in one maiden ewe flock. In this flock, C. fetus titres fluctuated and often waned by lamb marking, highlighting the value of necropsies during abortion investigations. C. jejuni‐‘positivity’ (titre ≥1:80) was detected for 44% (204/462; 95% CI 39.7 to 48.7) maiden ewes, but odds of failing to rear were decreased for C. jejuni‐‘positive’ ewes (OR 0.52; 95% CI 0.32 to 0.83; P = 0.007). The association between Campylobacter serology and the reproductive outcome was inconsistent in these flocks. Serology should be considered in the context of other risk factors and used in conjunction with other strategies to investigate the impact of Campylobacter exposure on ewe reproductive performance such as monitoring for abortions and lamb necropsies to determine aetiological diagnosis, and vaccination trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Clune
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Food Futures Institute Murdoch University South Street Murdoch Western Australia 6150 Australia
| | - M Bruce
- Centre for Biosecurity and One Health, Harry Butler Institute Murdoch University South Street Murdoch Western Australia 6150 Australia
| | - E Glanville
- Mackinnon Project, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences University of Melbourne Werribee Victoria 3030 Australia
| | - AJD Campbell
- Nossal Institute for Global Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health University of Melbourne Melbourne Victoria 3010 Australia
| | - A Lockwood
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Food Futures Institute Murdoch University South Street Murdoch Western Australia 6150 Australia
| | - S Hancock
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Food Futures Institute Murdoch University South Street Murdoch Western Australia 6150 Australia
| | - AN Thompson
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Food Futures Institute Murdoch University South Street Murdoch Western Australia 6150 Australia
| | - S Beetson
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Food Futures Institute Murdoch University South Street Murdoch Western Australia 6150 Australia
| | - D Brookes
- Mackinnon Project, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences University of Melbourne Werribee Victoria 3030 Australia
| | - C Trengove
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences University of Adelaide Roseworthy South Australia 5371 Australia
| | - R O'Handley
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences University of Adelaide Roseworthy South Australia 5371 Australia
| | - C Jacobson
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Food Futures Institute Murdoch University South Street Murdoch Western Australia 6150 Australia
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McCarthy SC, Macori G, Duggan G, Burgess CM, Fanning S, Duffy G. Prevalence and Whole-Genome Sequence-Based Analysis of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolates from the Recto-Anal Junction of Slaughter-Age Irish Sheep. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0138421. [PMID: 34644161 DOI: 10.1128/AEM.01384-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) organisms are a diverse group of pathogenic bacteria capable of causing serious human illness, and serogroups O157 and O26 are frequently implicated in human disease. Ruminant hosts are the primary STEC reservoir, and small ruminants are important contributors to STEC transmission. This study investigated the prevalence, serotypes, and shedding dynamics of STEC, including the supershedding of serogroups O157 and O26, in Irish sheep. Recto-anal mucosal swab samples (n = 840) were collected over 24 months from two ovine slaughtering facilities. Samples were plated on selective agars and were quantitatively and qualitatively assessed via real-time PCR (RT-PCR) for Shiga toxin prevalence and serogroup. A subset of STEC isolates (n = 199) were selected for whole-genome sequencing and analyzed in silico. In total, 704/840 (83.8%) swab samples were Shiga toxin positive following RT-PCR screening, and 363/704 (51.6%) animals were subsequently culture positive for STEC. Five animals were shedding STEC O157, and three of these were identified as supershedders. No STEC O26 was isolated. Post hoc statistical analysis showed that younger animals are more likely to harbor STEC and that STEC carriage is most prevalent during the summer months. Following sequencing, 178/199 genomes were confirmed as STEC. Thirty-five different serotypes were identified, 15 of which were not yet reported for sheep. Serotype O91:H14 was the most frequently reported. Eight Shiga toxin gene variants were reported, two stx1 and six stx2, and three novel Shiga-toxin subunit combinations were observed. Variant stx1c was the most prevalent, while many strains also harbored stx2b. IMPORTANCE Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) bacteria are foodborne, zoonotic pathogens of significant public health concern. All STEC organisms harbor stx, a critical virulence determinant, but it is not expressed in most serotypes. Sheep shed the pathogen via fecal excretion and are increasingly recognized as important contributors to the dissemination of STEC. In this study, we have found that there is high prevalence of STEC circulating within sheep and that prevalence is related to animal age and seasonality. Further, sheep harbor a variety of non-O157 STEC, whose prevalence and contribution to human disease have been underinvestigated for many years. A variety of Stx variants were also observed, some of which are of high clinical importance.
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McCarthy SC, Burgess CM, Fanning S, Duffy G. An Overview of Shiga-Toxin Producing Escherichia coli Carriage and Prevalence in the Ovine Meat Production Chain. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2021; 18:147-168. [PMID: 33395551 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2020.2861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are zoonotic foodborne pathogens that are capable of causing serious human illness. Ovine ruminants are recognized as an important source of STEC and a notable contributor to contamination within the food industry. This review examined the prevalence of STEC in the ovine food production chain from farm-to-fork, reporting carriage in sheep herds, during abattoir processing, and in raw and ready-to-eat meats and meat products. Factors affecting the prevalence of STEC, including seasonality and animal age, were also examined. A relative prevalence can be obtained by calculating the mean prevalence observed over multiple surveys, weighted by sample number. A relative mean prevalence was obtained for STEC O157 and all STEC serogroups at multiple points along the ovine production chain by using suitable published surveys. A relative mean prevalence (and range) for STEC O157 was calculated: for feces 4.4% (0.2-28.1%), fleece 7.6% (0.8-12.8%), carcass 2.1% (0.2-9.8%), and raw ovine meat 1.9% (0.2-6.3%). For all STEC independent of serotype, a relative mean prevalence was calculated: for feces 33.3% (0.9-90.0%), carcass 58.7% (2.0-81.6%), and raw ovine meat 15.4% (2.7-35.5%). The prevalence of STEC in ovine fleece was reported in only one earlier survey, which recorded a prevalence of 86.2%. Animal age was reported to affect shedding in many surveys, with younger animals typically reported as having a higher prevalence of the pathogen. The prevalence of STEC decreases significantly along the ovine production chain after the application of postharvest interventions. Ovine products pose a small risk of potential STEC contamination to the food supply chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siobhán C McCarthy
- Food Safety Department, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ashtown, Dublin, Ireland.,UCD-Centre for Food Safety, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Catherine M Burgess
- Food Safety Department, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ashtown, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Séamus Fanning
- UCD-Centre for Food Safety, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Geraldine Duffy
- Food Safety Department, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ashtown, Dublin, Ireland
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Parker AM, Mohler VL, Gunn AA, House JK. Development of a qPCR for the detection and quantification of Salmonella spp. in sheep feces and tissues. J Vet Diagn Invest 2020; 32:835-843. [PMID: 32856555 DOI: 10.1177/1040638720952359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Salmonella spp. are common causes of disease in intensive livestock production systems, and contamination of foodstuffs is of significant concern for public health. Therefore, the identification and quantification of Salmonella spp. is important for monitoring the level of fecal shedding or tissue colonization in infected animals and animal products. We developed and evaluated a quantitative PCR (qPCR) method on spiked sheep tissue and fecal samples for the detection and quantification of Salmonella spp. Without the use of a pre-enrichment step, the qPCR limit of detection (LOD) results for sheep fecal (4 × 104-6 × 103 cfu/g) and tissue (4 × 105-4 × 103 cfu/g) samples were not adequate for detection purposes. With the inclusion of a 6-h pre-enrichment step in buffered peptone water (BPW), the LOD was 9 cfu/g (2.57 × 101 copies/g) in sheep feces, and 5.4 cfu/g (3.22 copies/g) sheep tissue. Comparison of the 6-h BPW qPCR method with a 24-h mannitol-selenite-cystine broth enrichment culture method using spiked samples revealed a sensitivity of 91% and 92%, respectively, and a specificity of 100% for both methods. The correlation was significant between the quantity (copies/mL) of Salmonella spp. in BPW at 6 h and at 0 h, allowing semiquantitative analysis. Our results demonstrate that, following inclusion of a 6-h pre-enrichment step in BPW, qPCR is semiquantitative with improved LODs of Salmonella spp. in sheep fecal and tissue samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alysia M Parker
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Virginia L Mohler
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alison A Gunn
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, New South Wales, Australia
| | - John K House
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, New South Wales, Australia
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Cetin E, Temelli S, Eyigor A. Nontyphoid Salmonella Prevalence, Serovar Distribution and Antimicrobial Resistance in Slaughter Sheep. Food Sci Anim Resour 2020; 40:21-33. [PMID: 31970328 PMCID: PMC6957453 DOI: 10.5851/kosfa.2019.e75] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the current prevalence, serovar distribution and antimicrobial resistance rate and patterns of nontyphoid Salmonella (NTS) in slaughter sheep and their edible offal. While filling the gap of up to date related information in Turkey, data presented is also of significance since contamination of ovine meat, its products and offal with this pathogen is threat to public health due to their considerably high consumption rates in our country. Current NTS carriage in 200 apparently healthy slaughter sheep by ISO 6579:2002, 6579:2002/A1:2007 standard bacteriology (ISO) was 5% (10/200) (4 fecal content - 2%, 3 mesenterial lymph node - 1.5%, 3 kidney - 1.5%) out of 1,400 samples (0.7%), with no isolation from carcass, liver, gallbladder, spleen. Real-time PCR was in substantial agreement to ISO in confirming Salmonella-suspect isolates (Relative Trueness: 93.6%). S. Newport (40%) was the predominant serovar, followed by the second prevalent serovars as S. Typhimurium and S. Kentucky (20%), and by S. Umbilo and S. Corvallis (10%). Four and 6 out of 10 NTS isolates were susceptible (40%) and resistant (60%) to 18 antimicrobials, respectively. S. Typhimurium isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR) to tigecycline and sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim, with one also resistant to cefepime. S. Corvallis was MDR to ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and pefloxacin. The predominance of S. Newport and first isolation of S. Corvallis in sheep in the world; first time isolations of Newport, Kentucky, Corvallis, Umbilo serovars from sheep in Turkey; and high antimicrobial resistance rates obtained in majority of the isolates highlights study findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ece Cetin
- Department of Food Hygiene and Technology,
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Namik Kemal University,
59030, Tekirdag, Turkey
| | - Seran Temelli
- Department of Food Hygiene and Technology,
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bursa Uludag University,
16059, Bursa, Turkey
| | - Aysegul Eyigor
- Department of Food Hygiene and Technology,
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bursa Uludag University,
16059, Bursa, Turkey
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Paquette SJ, Stanford K, Thomas J, Reuter T. Quantitative surveillance of shiga toxins 1 and 2, Escherichia coli O178 and O157 in feces of western-Canadian slaughter cattle enumerated by droplet digital PCR with a focus on seasonality and slaughterhouse location. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195880. [PMID: 29649278 PMCID: PMC5897018 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Often Escherichia coli are harmless and/or beneficial bacteria inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract of livestock and humans. However, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) have been linked to human disease. Cattle are the primary reservoir for STEC and STEC “super-shedders” are considered to be a major contributor in animal to animal transmission. Among STEC, O157:H7 is the most recognized serotype, but in recent years, non-O157 STEC have been increasingly linked to human disease. In Argentina and Germany, O178 is considered an emerging pathogen. Our objective was to compare populations of E. coli O178, O157, shiga toxin 1 and 2 in western Canadian cattle feces from a sampling pool of ~80,000 beef cattle collected at two slaughterhouses. Conventional PCR was utilized to screen 1,773 samples for presence/absence of E. coli O178. A subset of samples (n = 168) was enumerated using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and proportions of O178, O157 and shiga toxins 1 & 2 specific-fragments were calculated as a proportion of generic E. coli (GEC) specific-fragments. Distribution of stx1 and stx2 was determined by comparing stx1, stx2 and O157 enumerations. Conventional PCR detected the presence of O178 in 873 of 1,773 samples and ddPCR found the average proportion of O178, O157, stx1 and stx2 in the samples 2.8%, 0.6%, 1.4% and 0.5%, respectively. Quantification of stx1 and stx2 revealed more virulence genes than could be exclusively attributed to O157. Our results confirmed the presence of E. coli O178 in western Canadian cattle and ddPCR revealed O178 as a greater proportion of GEC than was O157. Our results suggests: I) O178 may be an emerging subgroup in Canada and II) monitoring virulence genes may be a more relevant target for food-safety STEC surveillance compared to current serogroup screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah-Jo Paquette
- Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
- University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kim Stanford
- Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - James Thomas
- University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Tim Reuter
- Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Al-habsi K, Yang R, Abraham S, Ryan U, Miller D, Jacobson C. Molecular characterisation of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Campylobacter jejuni faecal carriage by captured rangeland goats. Small Rumin Res 2018; 158:48-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2017.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Jackson AE. In this issue - May 2017. Aust Vet J 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/avj.12584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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