Cattle may be a reservoir for this emerging pathogen of humans.
Background Escherichia coli infections known as colibacillosis constitute a considerable challenge to poultry farmers worldwide, in terms of decreased animal welfare and production economy. Colibacillosis is caused by avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC). APEC strains are extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli and have in general been characterized as being a genetically diverse population. In the Nordic countries, poultry farmers depend on import of Swedish broiler breeders which are part of a breeding pyramid. During 2014 to 2016, an increased occurrence of colibacillosis on Nordic broiler chicken farms was reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity among E. coli isolates collected on poultry farms with colibacillosis issues, using whole genome sequencing.MethodsHundred and fourteen bacterial isolates from both broilers and broiler breeders were whole genome sequenced. The majority of isolates were collected from poultry with colibacillosis on Nordic farms. Subsequently, comparative genomic analyses were carried out. This included in silico typing (sero- and multi-locus sequence typing), identification of virulence and resistance genes and phylogenetic analyses based on single nucleotide polymorphisms.ResultsIn general, the characterized poultry isolates constituted a genetically diverse population. However, the phylogenetic analyses revealed a major clade of 47 closely related ST117 O78:H4 isolates. The isolates in this clade were collected from broiler chickens and breeders with colibacillosis in multiple Nordic countries. They clustered together with a human ST117 isolate and all carried virulence genes that previously have been associated with human uropathogenic E. coli.ConclusionsThe investigation revealed a lineage of ST117 O78:H4 isolates collected in different Nordic countries from diseased broilers and breeders. The data indicate that the closely related ST117 O78:H4 strains have been transferred vertically through the broiler breeding pyramid into distantly located farms across the Nordic countries.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3415-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization timeof-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a fast and reliable method to identify the most common pathogenic bacteria in humans and animals. The goals of this study were to amend a commercial database with additional species, evaluate the amended database for identification of bacterial genera and species causing bovine mastitis, and describe the plethora of species involved. In total, 500 udder pathogenic isolates were subjected to MALDI-TOF MS using bacterial or fungal colony material; 93.5% could be identified to the species level, and 6.5% were identified only to the genus level. Isolates identified to the genus level required further identification to the species level by conventional methods or 16S rDNA sequencing. Mass spectra from verified species were used to expand the MALDI-TOF MS database to improve future identification ability. A total of 24 genera and 61 species were identified in this study. Identified isolates were mainly staphylococci, streptococci, Enterobacteriaceae, and coryneforme bacteria. In conclusion, MALDI-TOF MS is a powerful, rapid, and reliable technique to identify the most common microorganisms causing bovine mastitis, and the database can be continuously expanded and improved with additional species.
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