Isolation of a Zoonotic Pathogen Kluyvera ascorbata from Egyptian Fruit-Bat Rousettus aegyptiacus

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The Egyptian fruit-bat Rousettus aegyptiacus which had been raised at the private commercial aquarium in Seoul, Korea for indoor exhibition was found dead and submitted to College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University for postmortem examination. A pure bacterium of Kluyvera ascorbata was isolated from the blood specimen. The isolation of K. ascorbata from fruit bat is very important, because it is the most infectious agent of the genus Kluyvera that cause serious diseases to animals and human. Fruitbats which are distributed in pet shops through black-market in Korea although unproven become popular pet nowadays. This situation enhances chance of zoonosis. This paper describes the first isolation of K. ascorbata from the Egyptian fruit-bat.

Detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Like, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Like Bat Coronaviruses and Group H Rotavirus in Faeces of Korean Bats

“…According to a recent report, there are 23 species of bats in Korea (Han et al., ). Most Korean bats are thought to be insectivores, as no fruit bats have been found in Korea to date, except for some fruit bats as pets or indoor exhibitions (Han et al., ). Through the target‐specific RT‐PCR, partial RDRP sequences of three alphacoronaviruses (B15‐8, 40 and 41) and one betacoronavirus (B15‐21) were detected in the faeces of Korean bats.…”

Complete Genome Sequence of Kluyvera sp. CRP, a Cellulolytic Strain Isolated from Red Panda Feces (Ailurus fulgens)

“…Kluyvera species are coliforms that are widely distributed in the environment and have been isolated from freshwater ( 1 ), seawater ( 2 ), sewage ( 3 ), and soil ( 4 , 5 ); from synanthropic spiders ( 6 ) and flies ( 7 ); from cows ( 8 ), Egyptian fruit-bats ( 9 ), and sea turtles ( 10 ); and from the rhizosphere ( 11 ) and as endophytes ( 12 ), where they may promote plant growth ( 13 , 14 ) and protect against disease ( 15 ). In humans, Kluyvera infections are uncommon but are often persistent and even fatal ( 16 – 19 ).…”

The first case of third-generation cephalosporins resistant Kluyvera ascorbata biliary tract infection in Japan: A case report and review of the literature

“…To date, few cases of infection caused by this pathogen have been reported, including urinary tract infection, bacteremia, soft tissue infection, and mediastinitis, with varying severity and a wide range in patient age [[5], [6], [7], [8]]. Zoonotic infection in Egyptian fruit bats has also been reported [9].…”