An Garmyn

Application of medium-chain fatty acids in drinking water increases Campylobacter jejuni colonization threshold in broiler chicks

Campylobacteriosis is the most reported bacterial-mediated gastroenteritic disease in many developed countries. Broiler chickens are a natural host for Campylobacter spp., and contaminated poultry meat products are a major source for transmitting pathogenic Campylobacter strains to humans. Currently, no intervention measure efficiently and effectively controls this pathogen in poultry flocks. Medium-chain fatty acids (caproic, caprylic, capric, and lauric acids) show a marked anti-Campylobacter activity in vitro. However, in recent trials using our in vivo models, administering these acids to the feed of broiler chicks neither prevented nor reduced cecal C. jejuni colonization in broilers. In the present study, we examined whether a drinking water application of medium-chain fatty acids might be more effective in combating Campylobacter colonization in poultry. Although Campylobacter colonization and transmission was not reduced, we demonstrate that adding an emulsion of a mixture of caproic, caprylic, capric, and lauric acids to the drinking water of broiler chicks reduces their colonization susceptibility and prevents C. jejuni survival in drinking water. Thus, the merit of water applications of medium-chain fatty acids is the reduction of the probability of Campylobacter entry into and transmission throughout a flock.

Clinical efficacy of florfenicol administered in the drinking water against Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale in turkeys housed in different environmental conditions: a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic approach

In poultry rearing, medicated drinking water is a commonly used administration route, but drug uptake can be affected by many factors. In this study, the influence of two important parameters, the photoperiod and feeding schemes, on florfenicol uptake in turkeys was tested. First, the uptake was determined as the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic profile of florfenicol; and second, we evaluated the clinical efficacy of florfenicol against Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale. Both experiments were conducted during a 5-day treatment of 30 mg/kg body weight florfenicol administered via drinking water and considering different photoperiods and feeding schemes (group 20/4L: photoperiod of 20 h, fed ad libitum; group 16/8L: photoperiod of 16 h, fed ad libitum; group 16/8R: photoperiod of 16 h, fed ad libitum but feed was withdrawn during the dark period and replaced 1 h after lighting). On day 1 of treatment, all groups showed plasma concentrations above the minimum inhibitory concentration (both MIC50 and MIC90, 1 mg/l) of 37.7%, 63.5% and 53.1% of a 24-h interval for 20/4L, 16/8L and 16/8R, respectively. Only in the 16/8L and 16/8R groups was the MIC also exceeded on day 5 (47.9% and 21.5% of a 24-h interval, respectively). In all groups, a clinical improvement could be noticed, resulting in reduction of the clinical score. However, only the 16/8L and 16/8R groups showed significant differences from the control group. The results demonstrated an important influence of the photoperiod on the pharmacokinetics of florfenicol as well as the clinical outcome in an infection model. It can be advised that the photoperiod should be <20 h to have sufficient drug intake. Nevertheless, there was no effect between fed and fasted turkeys for both the pharmacokinetics and the clinical outcome.

Occurrence of viable Brachyspira spp. on carcasses of spent laying hens from supermarkets

Brachyspira spp. are frequent inhabitants of the chickens intestine and some have been associated with enteric disease in humans. We studied contamination with Brachyspira spp. of carcasses of spent laying hens as a possible source of infections for humans and animals that may eat this meat. Eleven batches of hen carcasses, for a total of 110 carcasses, were bought in Belgian supermarkets during 2009-2010. Carcass rinse samples were examined for the presence of Brachyspira. Brachyspira spp. were cultured from some carcass in all batches. Besides presumably non-pathogenic species such as Brachyspira murdochii and Brachyspira innocens, the poultry pathogen Brachyspira intermedia and the poultry and suspected human pathogen Brachyspira pilosicoli were identified in 7/11 and 1/11 carcass batches, respectively, at high numbers, as shown using quantitative polymerase chain reactions. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) demonstrated the presence of 2 and 13 MLST types of B. pilosicoli and B. intermedia, respectively, with all strains belonging to novel MLST types. The findings show that carcasses of spent laying hens are commonly contaminated with high numbers of Brachyspira spp., including the suspected zoonotic agent B. pilosicoli.

Presence of antimicrobial resistance in coliform bacteria from hatching broiler eggs with emphasis on ESBL/AmpC-producing bacteria

ABSTRACT Antimicrobial resistance is recognized as one of the most important global health challenges. Broilers are an important reservoir of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in general and, more particularly, extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)/AmpC-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Since contamination of 1-day-old chicks is a potential risk factor for the introduction of antimicrobial resistant Enterobacteriaceae in the broiler production chain, the presence of antimicrobial resistant coliform bacteria in broiler hatching eggs was explored in the present study. Samples from 186 hatching eggs, collected from 11 broiler breeder farms, were inoculated on MacConkey agar with or without ceftiofur and investigated for the presence of antimicrobial resistant lactose-positive Enterobacteriaceae, particularly, ESBL/AmpC-producers. Escherichia coli and Enterobacter cloacae were obtained from the eggshells in 10 out of 11 (10/11) sampled farms. The majority of the isolates were recovered from crushed eggshells after external decontamination suggesting that these bacteria are concealed from the disinfectants in the egg shell pores. Antimicrobial resistance testing revealed that approximately 30% of the isolates showed resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, trimethoprim and sulphonamides, while the majority of isolates were susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, nitrofurantoin, aminoglycosides, florfenicol, neomycin and apramycin. Resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins was detected in eight Enterobacteriaceae isolates from five different broiler breeder farms. The ESBL phenotype was confirmed by the double disk synergy test and blaSHV–12, blaTEM–52 and blaACT–39 resistance genes were detected by PCR. This report is the first to present broiler hatching eggs as carriers and a potential source of ESBL/AmpC-producing Enterobacteriaceae for broiler chicks.

Marek's disease virus associated ocular lymphoma in Roulroul partridges (Rollulus rouloul)

Two 1-year old Roulroul partridges (Rollulus rouloul), one male and one female, were presented because of eye problems and anorexia. Twenty of the 30 Roulroul partridges in the owners collection had already died. The affected birds stopped eating, became thinner, and eventually died. Antibiotic treatment, which started because of the suspicion of a septicaemic process, was unsuccessful. At clinical examination of the two partridges it was found that in both birds, one eye ball was filled with a whitish yellow amorphous material and the other eye ball of the female showed a distinct corneal opacity. Both presented birds were euthanized. Necropsy revealed no significant abnormalities in addition to the eye lesions. Histology and immunohistochemistry of the females eye revealed an infiltrate of T-lymphocytes corresponding to ocular lymphoma. Herpesvirus genus-specific PCR, followed by Sanger sequencing confirmed the presumptive diagnosis of Mareks disease in both birds. To our knowledge, this is the first confirmed case of infection with Gallid Herpesvirus 2 (Mareks disease virus) in partridges and the first case in this specific species.

Extended spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli in broiler breeding roosters: Presence in the reproductive tract and effect on sperm motility

Extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli have emerged worldwide in animal husbandry and they were reported from different ecosystems. The purpose of this study was firstly, to investigate the presence of ESBL-producing E. coli in the gastrointestinal (GIT) and reproductive (RT) tracts of broiler breeding roosters, and secondly to study the impact of an ESBL-producing E. coli on artificially infected semen. A total of seventeen ESBL-producing E. coli strains were isolated from the gastrointestinal and reproductive tracts of nine broiler breeding roosters. All isolates were identified to the species level by API 20E system and MALDI-TOF, serotyped, and genetically characterized for ESBL production. Semen was artificially infected with E. coli ATCC25922 or with an ESBL-producing E. coli strain recovered from the reproductive tract. A computer aided semen analyzer (CASA) was used to compare different spermatozoa motility parameters in each sample. All ESBL-producing E. coli isolates could not be typed with the currently used sera and they were harboring a blaCTX-M gene alone or in combination with a blaTEM gene. The semen quality was notably less affected in samples infected with ESBL-producing E. coli strain compared to the control and sample infected with E. coli ATCC25922. The present study revealed that ESBL-producing E. coli can be isolated from both reproductive and digestive tracts of broiler breeding roosters. Contamination of the reproductive tract with ESBL-producing E. coli could lead to contamination of semen and could be an important factor in the dissemination of ESBL-producing E. coli in poultry.

Occurrence and pathology of mycotoxins in commercial parrot feeds

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites of fungi. Animal feeds can be easily infected by fungi during production and storage, resulting in mycotoxin contamination. This study was performed to evaluate the possible health risks of mycotoxin-contaminated feed for cockatiels. The occurrence of mycotoxins in commercial parrot feeds (5 seed mixes and 5 pelleted feeds) was investigated by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The following 12 mycotoxins were detected: zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol, 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, fusarenon X, aflatoxin B1, sterigmatocystin, alternariol, alternariol methylether, fumonisin B1, fumonisin B3, and ochratoxin A. Zearalenone was the most prevalent. Pathological effects after 21 days feeding mycotoxin-contaminated diets were examined in an in vivo trial with 3 groups of 5 cockatiels: group 1 (control) was fed a non-contaminated pelleted feed; group 2 was fed a pelleted feed containing zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, and...

Persistent Goose Hemorrhagic Polyomavirus Infection on a Belgian Goose Farm

SUMMARY Goose hemorrhagic polyomavirus (GHPV) is the causative agent of hemorrhagic nephritis enteritis of geese (HNEG), one of the major diseases of domestic geese in Europe. This case report describes a persistent outbreak of a GHPV infection on a Belgian goose farm. Clinical symptoms, necropsy lesions, and histopathologic lesions observed were compatible with previous reports of HNEG outbreaks. PCR analysis confirmed the diagnosis of GHPV. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an outbreak of a GHPV infection on a Belgian goose farm. This is evidence that GHPV is not only present in countries known for extensive waterfowl production, but disease outbreaks also occur in countries with less extensive goose production.

Mycoplasma columbinum Isolated From a Racing Pigeon ( Columba livia ) With Arthritis.

Abstract A juvenile racing pigeon (Columba livia) was presented with drooping of the wing and inability to fly. On physical examination, the right shoulder joint was swollen. The pigeon was euthanatized and submitted for necropsy. An excessive amount of fibrin was present in the canalis triosseus with severe arthritis of the affected shoulder joint. A pure growth of Mycoplasma-like colonies was obtained on microbiological culture of the shoulder joint. A 16S ribosomal RNA gene-specific polymerase chain reaction assay was performed on the isolate and revealed 100% similarity with Mycoplasma columbinum. Although infectious arthritis in homing pigeons is primarily associated with paratyphoid and Streptococcus gallolyticus infection, clinical practitioners should consider the potential role of Mycoplasma columbinum in arthritis in pigeons.

Isolation of Burkholderia pseudomallei from a Pet Green Iguana, Belgium

We isolated Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, from liver granulomas of a pet green iguana (Iguana iguana) in Belgium. This case highlights a risk for imported green iguanas acting as a reservoir for introduction of this high-threat, zoonotic pathogen into nonendemic regions.