Wild waterfowl as potential vectors of Vibrio cholerae and Aeromonas species

ObjectiveTo study the hypothesis that migratory waterfowl are possible disseminators of Vibrio cholerae and Aeromonas. MethodsWe monitored the presence of V. cholerae and Aeromonas in three wild waterfowl species. ResultsV. cholerae and Aeromonas species were isolated and identified from intestine samples of little egrets and black-crowned night herons. Only Aeromonas species were isolated from black-headed gulls. The majority of Aeromonas isolates were A. veronii. Twenty-three V. cholerae serogroups were identified. V. cholerae serogroup O1 was found in the intestine DNA extractions from four little egrets and black-crowned night herons; six birds carried cholera toxin subunit A gene. ConclusionWild waterfowl species may carry pathogenic V. cholerae O1 and non-O1 serogroups and Aeromonas species in their intestine. The migration of waterfowl is a potential mechanism for global distribution of V. cholerae and Aeromonas. ObjectifEtudier l'hypothese selon laquelle les oiseaux aquatiques migrateurs seraient des disseminateurs possibles de V. cholerae et d'Aeromonas. MethodesNous avons recherche la presence de V. cholerae et Aeromonas chez trois especes d'oiseaux aquatiques sauvages. ResultatsLes especes de V. cholerae et d'Aeromonas ont ete isolees et identifiees a partir d'echantillons intestinaux de petites aigrettes et de herons cendres. Seules les especes d'Aeromonas ont ete isolees des mouettes a tete noire. La majorite des isolats d'Aeromonas etaient A. veronii. 23 serogroupes de V. cholerae ont ete identifies. V. cholerae du serogroupe O1 a ete retrouve dans les extractions d'ADN intestinal de 4 petites aigrettes et herons cendres; 6 oiseaux portaient le gene de la sous-unite A de la toxine cholerique. ConclusionLes especes sauvage d'oiseaux aquatiques peuvent porter des serogroupes pathogenes de V. cholerae O1 et non-O1 et des especes d'Aeromonas dans leurs intestins. La migration des oiseaux aquatiques est un mecanisme potentiel pour la distribution mondiale de V. cholerae et d'Aeromonas.