Isolation and Identification of Kidney-derived Pathogenic Escherichia coli from Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens)

Abstract

Background Disease prevention and control is a significant part during the ex-situ conservation of the red panda (Ailurus fulgens) with bacterial infection being one of the important threats to the health of the captive population. So far, there was no systematic and detailed publications about the red panda-related E. coli disease. This study was conducted for the purpose of determining the cause of death, etiology and pathogenesis on a red panda through clinical symptoms, complete blood count, biochemical analysis, pathological diagnosis, antimicrobial susceptibility test, mouse pathogenicity test, and bacterial whole genome sequencing.Results A bacterial strain confirmed as Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) was isolated from one captive dead red panda, which is resistant to most of the β-lactam drugs and a small number of aminoglycoside medications. The mouse pathogenicity test results showed the strains isolated postmortem from mice were the same as from the dead red panda, and the pathological findings were similar to the red panda while they were not completely the same. These pathological differences between red panda and mice may be related to the routes of infection and perhaps species differences and tolerance. The whole genome sequencing results showed that the isolated strain contained P pili, type I pili and iron uptake system related factors, which were closely related to its nephrotoxicity. Conclusion The red panda died of bacterial infection which was identified as Uropathogenic Escherichia coli. The pathogenic mechanisms of the strain are closely related to the expression of specific virulence genes.