Blowflies Calliphora vicina and Lucilia sericata as passive vectors of Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium, M. a. paratuberculosis and M. a. hominissuis

Abstract

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Actinomycetales: Mycobacteriaceae) isolates of identical restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) type B-C1 were isolated from: intestinal mucosa of two cows showing clinical signs of paratuberculosis, a specimen of the blowfly Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Calliphoridae) captured while perched on these cattle intestines in a waste container at the site of the slaughter, and the blowflies C. vicina and Lucilia caesar Linnaeus captured the next day at the same site when no infected cattle with paratuberculosis were slaughtered. Subsequently, second-stage larvae of the blowflies C. vicina and Lucilia sericata (Meigen) were experimentally infected by feeding them liver from hens with avian tuberculosis caused by M. a. avium (serotype 1, genotype IS901+ and IS1245+) and small cuts of pork meat contaminated with M. a. hominissuis (serotype 8, genotype IS901- and IS1245+). Mycobacterium a. avium of identical serotype, genotype and RFLP type F-C3 was isolated from C. vicina larvae on days 4 and 11 post infection (p.i.) and from L. sericata larvae on day 4 p.i. Identical RFLP type B-C1 of M. a. paratuberculosis was isolated from adult C. vicina fed with artificially contaminated saccharose solution on day 2 p. i. Investigation of M. a. paratuberculosis distribution inside the adult C. vicina showed that the majority of Colony Forming Units (CFU) were isolated from the abdomen and head, fewer from the thorax and wings and none from the legs. Larvae and adults may participate in spreading causal agents of mycobacterial infections and this fact should be considered during sanitation of infected herds and in slaughterhouses when materials from animals affected by mycobacterial infections are processed.

The wildlife hosts of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in the Czech Republic during the years 2002-2007

“…This was documented by the isolation of MAP from earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris; Fischer et al, 2003a) and the imagoes and larvae of different species of Diptera (Fischer et al, 2001;Machackova et al, 2004;Fischer et al, 2005Fischer et al, , 2006. Potential passive transmission of MAP by invertebrates was also confirmed by the isolation of MAP from experimentally infected blowflies (Calliphoridae; Fischer et al, 2004), cockroaches (Blattidae; Fischer et al, 2003b) and syrphid flies (Eristalis tenax; Fischer et al, 2005). MAP isolates from invertebrates were of identical RFLP type B-C1 to the isolates from infected cattle or the environment on the farms or in the slaughterhouse, where the invertebrates were collected (Fischer et al, 2001(Fischer et al, , 2003aMachackova et al, 2004;.…”

Tuberculous and tuberculoid lesions in free living small terrestrial mammals and the risk of infection to humans and animals: a review

“…a. avium was diagnosed in insectivores, such as the common shrew (Sorex araneus) and small rodents such as the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) that were free of gross lesions (Fischer et al, 2000). Comparable findings were described for M. a. hominissuis (Fischer et al, 2004).…”

A metagenomic assessment of the bacteria associated with Lucilia sericata and Lucilia cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

“…Since these species are primary colonizers of carrion, developmental data from these species can be useful for predicting the ages of immature blow flies associated with a body, which can help in estimating a minimum time of colonization for death investigations (Amendt et al 2007;Tomberlin et al 2011). They also serve as a mechanical vector of pathogens (Fischer et al 2004;Maldonado and Centeno 2003) and are at the center of numerous neglect law suits related to the abuse of dependents, companion animals, and livestock (Hall 2005). Some species are also responsible for transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains (Liu et al 2013;Wei et al 2014a;Zurek and Ghosh 2014).…”