Estimation of Cultivable Bacterial Diversity in the Cloacae and Pharynx in Eurasian Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus)

Abstract

In this work, we describe the biodiversity of cloacal and pharynx culture-based bacteria (commensal and pathogenic), in 75 Eurasian griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) from two geographic areas. We address the question of whether the cultivable microbiota of vultures is organised into assemblages occurring by chance. In addition, we assess bacterial diversity in both anatomic regions and geographic areas. Bacterial diversity was represented by 26 Gram-negative and 20 Gram-positive genera. The most common genera were Escherichia, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus, Clostridium and Lactococcus. Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis were the most common species in cloacal and pharyngeal samples. Staphylococcus and Erysipelothrix were isolated from the pharynx and Salmonella and Corynebacterium from the cloacae, and no Campylobacter was isolated from the cloacal swabs. Ten cloacal swabs were positive for Salmonella, of which five isolates were Salmonella enterica serotype 4,(5),12:i:-, one isolate was S. enterica serotype Derby, three isolates were S. enterica serotype 61:k:1,5,7 and one isolate was S. enterica serotype Infantis. The null modelling approach revealed that the commensal bacteria of vultures are not structured in assemblages. On the other hand, differences in bacterial genus and species richness between cloacal and pharyngeal samples or between geographic areas were clear, with the pharynx in vultures from both geographic areas being richer. The results of this study indicate also that vultures can serve as a reservoir of certain pathogenic zoonotic bacteria. The dissemination of these zoonotic pathogens in wildlife could be prevented by periodic sanitary surveys.

Implications of bacterial, viral and mycotic microorganisms in vultures for wildlife conservation, ecosystem services and public health

“…2003, Vela et al . 2015) and the rest used metagenomics techniques (Roggenbuck et al . 2014, Meng et al .…”

The distinguishing effects of low-intensity electromagnetic radiation of different extremely high frequencies on Enterococcus hirae : growth rate inhibition and scanning electron microscopy analysis

“…It is clear that cellular mechanisms of EMF effects should be studied further. These effects are of significance, since E. hirae can be considered as a model organism for Gram-positive bacteria (Gaechter et al 2012;Torgomyan et al 2012); in addition, they are among commensal and pathogenic bacteria in nature (Vela et al 2015), they can be used as probiotics, applied in dairy production or, on the other hand, can be linked to different diseases in human organism (Gilad et al 1998;Fisher and Phillips 2009;Chan et al 2012;El-Ghaish et al 2015;Garc ıa-Hern andez et al 2016;Jain et al 2016). Thus, structural and functional peculiarities of E. hirae, especially membrane composition and properties, are the focus of this study.…”

<b>Avaliação do perfil sanitário de urubu-de-cabeça-preta (<i>Coragyps atratus</i>) em ambiente urbano</b>

“…Uma maior diversidade de bactérias Gram-positivas (7 gêneros e 16 espécies) em relação a bactérias Gram-negativas (5 gêneros e 6 espécies) também foi observada neste estudo (Tabela 2). Em uma pesquisa conduzida na Espanha, Vela et al (2014) isolaram da cloaca de abutre-fouveiro (Gyps fulvus, Accipitridae) de vida livre uma maior diversidade de bactérias Gram-positivas (18 gêneros e 27 espécies) em relação à Gram-negativas (14 gêneros e 12 espécies). Por outro lado, Blanco et al (2007) estudando abutres-do-egito (Neophron percnopterus, Accipitridae) de vida livre, provenientes de outras quatro localidades da Espanha, obtiveram uma maior diversidade de bactérias Gram-negativas (14 gêneros) do que Gram-positivas (3 gêneros).…”

“…Este gênero já havia sido descrito anteriormente em outros grupos de aves carniceiras. Vela et al (2014) descreveram o Enteroccocus sp. como sendo o gênero mais isolado da cloaca de abutrefouveiro (52% dos isolados) na Espanha.…”

“…Enterococcus casseliflavus e Enterococcus faecium foram as espécies predominantemente isoladas dos urubus-de-cabeça-preta (Tabela 2). Em contrapartida, Vela et al (2014) observaram Enterococcus faecalis como sendo a espécie mais isolada em abutrefouveiro, embora as espécies E. casseliflavus e E. faecium também tenham sido isoladas. Blanco et al (2007) também encontraram Enterococcus faecalis como sendo a espécie de bactéria Gram-positiva mais isolada em duas populações de abutres-do-egito estudadas na Espanha.…”