Association of Enterococcus cecorum with vertebral osteomyelitis and spondylolisthesis in broiler parent chicks

Abstract

Enterococcus cecorum is the most frequently occurring enterococcal species in the intestine of chickens of over 12 weeks of age, and there are few reports on its isolation from the skeleton of broiler parent chicks. In the present study, observations on vertebral osteomyelitis and spondylolisthesis ('kinky back syndrome') showing high incidence in 8 broiler parent flocks in different parts of Hungary are summarised. Clinical signs were seen only in roosters between 5 and 13 weeks of age. Diseased birds were alert and remained sitting on their hocks with their feet slightly raised off the ground. Incidence of the disease among male birds ranged from 8% to 30% depending on flocks. Enlargement and distortion of the body of the 6th vertebra were seen as the main pathological lesions. The cavity of the spinal canal was constricted by the distorted vertebral bodies. Resorption of bone tissue and sequestrum formation, signs of increased osteoclast activity, proliferation of fibrotic tissues, infiltration with heterophils and formation of sclerotic layers were detected in the vertebral bodies. From all 24 samples collected from the vertebral lesions, Enterococcus cecorum was isolated and identified using metabolic fingerprinting as well as 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Demonstration of E. cecorum from the vertebral lesions in all examined broiler breeder roosters showing the same clinical and pathological findings in different flocks suggested the pathogenic role of this microorganism for the first time in Hungary.

Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Enterococcus strains isolated from poultry

“…According to the literature, E. cecorum infection appears to be most common in broiler flocks at the age of 3-6 weeks, and in broiler breeders aged 3.5-18 weeks. (Devriese et al, 2002;De Herdt et al, 2008;Armour et al, 2011;Makrai et al, 2011). In our study, the highest percentage of E. cecorum was isolated from broilers at the age of 2-5 weeks.…”

“…The highest level of resistance was detected for sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim. Makrai et al (2011) also observed that all tested strains were resistant to SXT. Bacteria of the genus Enterococcus can absorb folic acid from the environment, bypassing the effects of SXT.…”

“…We noted that all isolates of this species were susceptible to amoxicillin and amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, while 50% of them were resistant to tylosin. Makrai et al (2011) observed that all of the isolated E. cecorum strains were susceptible to amoxicillin and florfenicol, but about half of the isolates were resistant to lincomycin and spectinomycin. The mechanism of resistance to chloramphenicol in enterococci is enzymatic inactivation by acetylation of the drug via different types of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (Cats).…”

Pathomorphological Investigations on the Incidence of Axial Skeleton Pathology Associated with Posterior Paralysis in Commercial Broiler Chickens

“…The results of our studies on spondylolisthesis have established a dislocation of T4 in all cases. This condition corresponds with cases described by some authors using one nomenclature (McLelland, 1990;Julian, 2005;Crespo and Shivaprasad, 2008) and differs from the results of others using different nomenclature, noting that the affected vertebra was T6 (Riddell and Howell, 1972; Salomon and Krautwald-Junghans, 2008;Makrai et al, 2011). Considering the established results for clinical occurrence of spondylolisthesis (42.…”

Molecular epidemiology ofEnterococcus cecorumisolates recovered from enterococcal spondylitis outbreaks in the southeastern United States

“…To date, ES has been reported in both breeding and meat production flocks in several states, including Pennsylvania, Washington, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and California (Aziz & Barnes, 2009;Gingerich, 2009). ES has also been documented in broiler chickens in Belgium, Canada, Hungary, the Netherlands, and the UK Wood et al, 2002;DeHerdt et al, 2008;Stalker et al, 2010;Kense & Landman, 2011;Makrai et al, 2011;Boerlin et al, 2012). Clinical presentations, gross findings, and epidemiology are similar to those described for US broiler flocks (Gingerich, 2009).…”