Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.4
4.5
Journals
Microorganisms
Special Issues
Domestic Animals and Wildlife Zoonotic Microorganisms
share announcement

Domestic Animals and Wildlife Zoonotic Microorganisms

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 10823

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Labrini V. Athanasiou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, 224 Trikalon, 43100 Karditsa, Greece
Interests: clinical pathology; diagnostics; vector-borne diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maria Kantere

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine & Faculty of Public and Intergrated Health, University of Thessaly, 224 Trikalon, 43100 Karditsa, Greece
Interests: One Health approach; veterinary microbiology; virology; canine infections; Salmonella spp.; zoonotic pathogens; microorganisms diagnostic methods

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Emerging and re-emerging zoonotic microorganisms persist in posing great risks to global health, in addition to causing healthcare finance issues. As with the recent COVID-19 pandemic, most zoonoses of great impact on human health derive from wildlife pathogens. It is well-established that research regarding zoonotic infectious diseases should be conducted in a unifying, integrated way at the dynamic wildlife–domestic animals interface, aiming to find sustainable solutions for the optimal health of humans, domestic and wildlife animals in their shared environment. Additionally, environmental factors (i.e., climate crisis, facilitation of global movements of animals and humans, habitat fragmentation, urbanization, changes of land uses, deforestation, global trade) probably play a key role in the emergence and/or re-emergence of zoonotic microorganisms; the most powerful example may be that of vector-borne diseases.

The advent of novel diagnostic tools for use either in fully equipped and technologically advanced laboratories or in in-clinic settings contributes to the early detection of and rapid response to these health threats. Additionally, other contemporary tools including GIS applications, management of mega-data etc. greatly contribute to a better understanding of zoonotic microorganism epidemiology and patterns of transmission. Awareness regarding zoonotic infectious diseases (especially their diagnosis and epidemiology) should be further raised among veterinarians, physicians, researchers, public health authorities and the public, aiming to prevent future pandemics.

This Special Issue of Microorganisms will include articles concerning zoonotic microorganisms among different species of wild animals (free-ranging or captive) or domestic animals (farm animals or pets). Submissions can deal with the causal agents of common or neglected zoonoses, as well as any other aspects of these infections or diseases, diagnosis, pathogenesis, transmission, epidemiology, including molecular epidemiology (associated with environmental factors or not), surveillance, monitoring, prevention and control. Articles describing research studies in wild and/or domestic species (field or laboratory work) as well as reviews are welcome.

Dr. Labrini V. Athanasiou
Dr. Maria Kantere
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

20 pages, 962 KiB  
Article
Clostridioides difficile in Pigs and Dairy Cattle in Northern Italy: Prevalence, Characterization and Comparison between Animal and Human Strains
by Patrizia Spigaglia, Fabrizio Barbanti, Silvia Faccini, Mariella Vescovi, Enrico Maria Criscuolo, Rossella Ceruti, Clara Gaspano and Carlo Rosignoli
Microorganisms 2023, 11(7), 1738; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11071738 - 02 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1263
Abstract
It has been observed that novel strains of Clostridioides difficile can rapidly emerge and move between animal and human hosts. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of C. difficile in pigs and dairy cattle in northern Italy and to [...] Read more.
It has been observed that novel strains of Clostridioides difficile can rapidly emerge and move between animal and human hosts. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of C. difficile in pigs and dairy cattle in northern Italy and to characterize and compare C. difficile animal strains with those from patients from the same geographical area. The C. difficile strains were isolated from animals from farms and slaughterhouses (cross-sectional studies) and from neonatal animals with enteric disorders in routine diagnostic investigations (passive surveillance). Samples positive for C. difficile were found in 87% of the pig farms and in 40% of the cattle farms involved in the cross-sectional studies, with a 20% prevalence among suckling piglets and 6.7% prevalence in neonatal calves, with no significant difference between animals with and without diarrheal symptoms. The prevalence of C. difficile in older animal categories was significantly lower. This result suggests that young age is an important risk factor for C. difficile colonization. In cross-sectional studies at slaughterhouses, in both the heavy pigs and dairy cows examined, only 2% of the intestinal content samples were positive for C. difficile and no contamination was found on the surface of the carcasses. Considering passive surveillance, the prevalence rates of positive samples were 29% in piglets and 1.4% in calves. Overall, 267 strains of animal origin and 97 from humans were collected. In total, 39 ribotypes (RTs) were identified, with RT 078 and RT 018 being predominant among animals and humans, respectively. Several RTs overlapped between animals and patients. In particular, RT 569 was identified as an emergent type in our country. Resistance to erythromycin and moxifloxacin was widely diffused among C. difficile strains, regardless of origin. This study supports C. difficile as a pathogen of one-health importance and highlights the need for a collaborative approach between physicians and veterinarians to control and prevent infections that are able to cross species and geographical barriers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Domestic Animals and Wildlife Zoonotic Microorganisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 5158 KiB  
Article
Prevalence, Virulence, and Antibiotics Gene Profiles in Lactococcus garvieae Isolated from Cows with Clinical Mastitis in China
by Xinmei Xie, Zihao Pan, Yong Yu, Lirong Yu, Fan Wu, Jing Dong, Tiancheng Wang and Lin Li
Microorganisms 2023, 11(2), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11020379 - 02 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2284
Abstract
Lactococcus garvieae (L. garvieae) is a pathogenic gram-positive, catalase-negative (GPCN) bacterium that causes bovine mastitis. A total of 49 L. garvieae isolates were identified from 1441 clinical mastitis (CM) samples. The pathogenic effects of L. garvieae were studied with two infection [...] Read more.
Lactococcus garvieae (L. garvieae) is a pathogenic gram-positive, catalase-negative (GPCN) bacterium that causes bovine mastitis. A total of 49 L. garvieae isolates were identified from 1441 clinical mastitis (CM) samples. The pathogenic effects of L. garvieae were studied with two infection models: bovine mammary epithelial cells cultured in vitro and murine mammary infections in vivo. The overall farm prevalence was 15.5% (13/84 farms in 9/19 provinces) and sample prevalence was 3.40% (49/1441). Post-treatment somatic cell count (SCC) post L. garvieae infection was significantly higher than the other GPCN pathogens isolated, and the bacteriological cure fraction was 41.94% (13/31) after intramammary antibiotic treatment. All L. garvieae isolates were resistant to rifaximin, 12.24% of isolates were resistant to cephalexin, and 10.20% (5/49) were multidrug-resistant (MDR). The most prevalent virulence genes were Hemolysin 1 (hly1)(100%), Hemolysin 2 (hly2) (97.96%), NADH oxidase (NADHO) (100%), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) (100%), Adhesin Pav (Pav) (100%), Adhesin PsaA (PsaA) (100%), Enolase (eno) (100%), Adhesin cluster 1(AC1) (100%), Adhesin cluster 2 (AC2) (100%), and several exopolysaccharides. L. garvieae rapidly adhered to bovine mammary epithelial cells, resulting in an elevated lactate dehydrogenase release. Edema and congestion were observed in challenged murine mammary glands and bacteria were consistently isolated at 12, 24, 48, 72, and 120 h after infection. We concluded that L. garvieae had good adaptive ability in the bovine and murine mammary cells and tissue. Given the resistance profile, penicillin and ampicillin are potential treatments for CM cases caused by L. garvieae. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Domestic Animals and Wildlife Zoonotic Microorganisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 1166 KiB  
Article
Genomic Characterization of Three Novel Bartonella Strains in a Rodent and Two Bat Species from Mexico
by Jonathan Gonçalves-Oliveira, Ricardo Gutierrez, Cory Lee Schlesener, David A. Jaffe, Alvaro Aguilar-Setién, Henri-Jean Boulouis, Yaarit Nachum-Biala, Bihua C. Huang, Bart C. Weimer, Bruno B. Chomel and Shimon Harrus
Microorganisms 2023, 11(2), 340; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11020340 - 30 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1896
Abstract
Rodents and bats are the most diverse mammal group that host Bartonella species. In the Americas, they were described as harboring Bartonella species; however, they were mostly characterized to the genotypic level. We describe here Bartonella isolates obtained from blood samples of one [...] Read more.
Rodents and bats are the most diverse mammal group that host Bartonella species. In the Americas, they were described as harboring Bartonella species; however, they were mostly characterized to the genotypic level. We describe here Bartonella isolates obtained from blood samples of one rodent (Peromyscus yucatanicus from San José Pibtuch, Yucatan) and two bat species (Desmodus rotundus from Progreso, and Pteronotus parnellii from Chamela-Cuitzmala) from Mexico. We sequenced and described the genomic features of three Bartonella strains and performed phylogenomic and pangenome analyses to decipher their phylogenetic relationships. The mouse-associated genome was closely related to Bartonella vinsonii. The two bat-associated genomes clustered into a single distinct clade in between lineages 3 and 4, suggesting to be an ancestor of the rodent-associated Bartonella clade (lineage 4). These three genomes showed <95% OrthoANI values compared to any other Bartonella genome, and therefore should be considered as novel species. In addition, our analyses suggest that the B. vinsonii complex should be revised, and all B. vinsonii subspecies need to be renamed and considered as full species. The phylogenomic clustering of the bat-associated Bartonella strains and their virulence factor profile (lack of the Vbh/TraG conjugation system remains of the T4SS) suggest that it should be considered as a new lineage clade (L5) within the Bartonella genus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Domestic Animals and Wildlife Zoonotic Microorganisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

9 pages, 1091 KiB  
Article
Prevalence of mecA, mecC and Panton-Valentine-Leukocidin Genes in Clinical Isolates of Coagulase Positive Staphylococci from Dermatological Canine Patients
by Marcela O. Platenik, Linda Archer, Lopamudra Kher and Domenico Santoro
Microorganisms 2022, 10(11), 2239; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10112239 - 12 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1366
Abstract
Coagulase positive Staphylococci (CoPS) are the leading cause of canine cutaneous and otic infections. Virulence factors associated with Staphylococci include the expression of mec and panton-valentine leukocidin (pvl) genes. Methicillin-resistance (MR) is commonly associated with mecA gene expression, although a recently [...] Read more.
Coagulase positive Staphylococci (CoPS) are the leading cause of canine cutaneous and otic infections. Virulence factors associated with Staphylococci include the expression of mec and panton-valentine leukocidin (pvl) genes. Methicillin-resistance (MR) is commonly associated with mecA gene expression, although a recently identified variant, mecC, has been reported. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of mecA, mecC and pvl genes in 232 clinical isolates of CoPS collected from dogs with pyoderma. A multiplex PCR, and Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion susceptibility test for cefoxitin was performed for all isolates. PBP2a agglutination test was performed on 127 isolates. Standard MRSA isolates were used as positive controls. The mecA gene was identified in 149/232 isolates (64.2%): 116 S. pseudintermedius, 30 S. coagulans and three S. aureus. The pvl gene was present in only 1 isolate of S. pseudintermedius (0.4%), whereas no isolates carried the mecC gene. 34 isolates were resistant to cefoxitin (14.6%) and they were all mecA positive. The results of this study show an MR prevalence of 64.2% confirming concerns about antibiotic resistance in veterinary medicine. In conclusion, this is the first study analyzing the prevalence of mecC and pvl in comparison to mecA, in a large cohort of CoPS clinical isolates from dogs with pyoderma. A multimodal surveillance on the prevalence of mecC and pvl in veterinary medicine is essential to appropriate antimicrobial management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Domestic Animals and Wildlife Zoonotic Microorganisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 258 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Bovine Mastitis and Bulk Tank Milk: First Isolation of Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus in Japan
by Ryota Miyazawa, So Shimoda, Keiichi Matsuda, Ryuta Tobe, Tasuke Ando and Hiroshi Yoneyama
Microorganisms 2022, 10(11), 2117; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10112117 - 26 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1594
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important pathogens in humans as well as in livestock. Particularly, bovine mastitis caused by S. aureus is a serious issue in dairy farms due to disease recurrence. Here, cases of S. aureus-mediated intramammary infection occurring [...] Read more.
Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important pathogens in humans as well as in livestock. Particularly, bovine mastitis caused by S. aureus is a serious issue in dairy farms due to disease recurrence. Here, cases of S. aureus-mediated intramammary infection occurring in the Miyagi Prefecture in Japan were monitored from May 2015 to August 2019; a total of 59 strains (49 from bovine milk and 10 from bulk milk) were obtained from 15 dairy farms and analyzed via sequence-based typing methods and antibiotic susceptibility tests. Two pairs of isolates were determined as recurrence cases from the same cows in distinct farms. The sequence type (ST), spa type, and coa type of each pair were the same: one pair showed ST705, t529, and VIb and the other showed ST352, t267, and VIc. In addition, the possession of toxin genes analyzed of each pair was exactly the same. Furthermore, seven oxacillin-sensitive clonal complex 398 isolates were obtained from a single farm. This is the first confirmed case of a Methicillin-Sensitive SA (MSSA) ST398 strain isolated from mastitis-containing cows in Japan. Our findings suggest that nationwide surveillance of the distribution of ST398 strains in dairy farms is important for managing human and animal health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Domestic Animals and Wildlife Zoonotic Microorganisms)

Other

Jump to: Research

9 pages, 1791 KiB  
Case Report
Isolation and Identification of Aeromonas veronii in Sheep with Fatal Infection in China: A Case Report
by Yongqiang Miao, Xueliang Zhao, Fathalrhman Eisa Addoma Adam, Qingfang Xie, Hang Feng, Jingru Ding, Xindong Bai, Juan Wang and Zengqi Yang
Microorganisms 2023, 11(2), 333; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11020333 - 29 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1768
Abstract
According to the findings of a sheep breeding farm in Shaanxi, China, 2.53% (15/594) of sheep exhibited respiratory (clinical) symptoms such as dyspnoea, nasal discharge, wet cough, fever, and progressive emaciation. Although multi-drug treatment strategies (including ampicillin, tylosin, florfenicol, and ceftiofur) have been [...] Read more.
According to the findings of a sheep breeding farm in Shaanxi, China, 2.53% (15/594) of sheep exhibited respiratory (clinical) symptoms such as dyspnoea, nasal discharge, wet cough, fever, and progressive emaciation. Although multi-drug treatment strategies (including ampicillin, tylosin, florfenicol, and ceftiofur) have been attempted to improve clinical outcomes, they have only been met with limited success, with a mortality rate of 40%. Ultimately, Aeromonas veronii (A. veronii) was identified as the causative pathogen for respiratory disease. The rates of symptomatic and asymptomatic sheep positive to A. veronii were 64.28% (95% CI 52.25–76.31%) and 8.02% (95% CI 6.96–9.08%), respectively. Pathogenicity tests demonstrated that the A. veronii is pathogenic to sheep and mice. The results of the antibiotic susceptibility tests revealed that the strain was sensitive to cefotaxime, gentamicin, and enrofloxacin and resistant to ampicillin, ceftiofur, amoxicillin, kanamycin, neomycin, streptomycin, tetracycline, florfenicol, and tylosin. We suggest that the combination of cefotaxime and gentamicin is an effective treatment based on the results of an antimicrobial susceptibility test, which exhibited good therapeutic efficacy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in which pathogenic A. veronii has been documented as the cause of death in sheep in China. We concluded that pathogenic A. veronii poses a potential risk to the industry of sheep husbandry. This study’s findings can help guide prevention and treatment plans for A. veronii infection in sheep. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Domestic Animals and Wildlife Zoonotic Microorganisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-6
Back to TopTop