Detection of Antimicrobial Resistant Salmonella enterica Strains in Larval and Adult Forms of Lesser Mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) From Industrial Poultry Farms

Abstract

The lesser mealworms (Alphitobius diaperinus) constitute a common cosmopolitan pest in poultry flocks and may colonize the litter in adult and larval forms. Previous studies have documented their potential as carriers of enteric pathogens. In this context, S. enterica constitutes a prioritized zoonotic agent in the poultry industry due to the sanitary risks and economic losses associated with its presence. The aim of this study is to describe the presence of S. enterica strains in larval and adult forms of A. diaperinus collected from poultry litter belonging to industrial farms located in the central zone of Chile. A total of 403 specimens (203 adults and 200 larvae) were sampled from three farms and 25 flocks. For bacteriological isolation, beetles were processed to differentiate external and internal contamination. Then, isolates were serotyped according to the Kauffman-White scheme and antimicrobial resistance phenotypes were determined using the disk diffusion method. Gene sequences from the megaplasmid pESI were identified through a PCR based test. These procedures led to the detection of 15 S. enterica isolates, belonging to serotypes Infantis (14) and Livingstone (1), from both adults (6) and larval (9) specimens, with a similar external (7) and internal (8) distribution. Furthermore, all S. Infantis isolates showed antimicrobial resistance and evidence of megaplasmid pESI carriage, with all possessing multidrug-resistant phenotypes. Our results confirm that A. diaperinus constitutes a potential reservoir of zoonotic Salmonella strains of sanitary and economic concern for the industry and for public health.

Alphitobius diaperinus Panzer (Insecta, Coleoptera) in a single house of a broiler production facility as a potential source of pathogenic bacteria for broilers and humans

“…S. xylosus is a common commensal bacterium that generally is found inhabiting the skin and mucous membranes of a variety of mammals and occasionally humans (Nagase et al 2002). It can be noticed in diverse niches such as polluted water, fodder, and soil surface (Dordet-Frisoni et al 2007), and as a zoonotic agent can be a threat to humans (Siqueira and Lima 2002). Reports as a primary pathogen in human and veterinary medicine are scarce (Gozalo et al 2010).…”

“…Contamination of food and ingredients by A. diaperinus can occur along the entire food chain, and pest infestation in any stage leads to a reduction in quality and contamination in the finished products (Trematerra and Fleurat-Lessard 2015). While in Europe limited studies have been carried out to investigate the role of A. diaperinus in the carriage of human pathogens during poultry production (Skov et al 2004;Piccirillo et al 2018), several surveys were conducted elsewhere (Bates et al 2004;Crippen et al 2009Crippen et al , 2018Templeton et al 2006;Hazeleger et al 2008;Donoso et al 2020;Rossler et al 2020). This study conducted in Italy investigated the potential carriage of various bacteria pathogenic both for humans and broilers in A. diaperinus adults.…”

First report of multidrug-resistant Salmonella Infantis in broiler litter in Tolima, Colombia

“…from poultry samples represent a significant risk to public health, as they can be transferred horizontally through mobile elements, such as plasmids [12]. Through plasmids, genes could not only reach hosts through poultry products contaminated with resistant bacteria but also through mechanical and biological vectors, such as flies and Alphitobius diaperinus, found in high densities in the litter analyzed in this study [70,74].…”

Positive biofilms to guide surface microbial ecology in livestock buildings

“…Salmonella spp. [ 55 ]. For 20 flies caught in pig farms, 10 4 to 10 6 E. coli were quantified [ 56 ].…”