Bacterial Communities Associated with Houseflies (Musca domestica L.) Inhabiting Hospices in South Africa.

Houseflies are alleged reservoirs as well as vectors of human and animal pathogens, including bacteria, because they frequently have contact with animal excreta and decaying organic substances. The rapid adaptation process of ingested microbes in the insect gut may involve gene transfer, including antibiotic resistance determinants among different bacterial strains. Six hundred and fifty-seven (n = 657) houseflies were collected from hospices and were identified morphologically and genetically using the 16S rRNA, CO1, and ITS2 barcoding genes. This study also characterized the bacterial communities harboured by the captured houseflies using 16S rRNA metabarcoding on the next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform and further sought to detect antibiotic resistance traits by using gene-specific PCR assays. Generated sequences for the targeted gene fragments matched with Musca domestica and all the sequences were deposited to the GenBank database. The 16S rRNA metabarcoding analysis revealed that the most abundant phyla detected with variable abundance observed among all the houseflies were Proteobacteria, followed by Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. Furthermore, the NGS data revealed the presence of multiple bacterial genera, including Providencia, Enterobacter, Dysgonomonas, Escherichia-Shigella, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, and Streptococcus, which are known to harbour potentially pathogenic species of animals and humans. Antibiotic resistance genes detected from the housefly DNA in this study included ermB, tetA, blaSHV, and blaTEM. Moreover, these genes are associated with resistance to erythromycin, tetracycline, and beta-lactams antibiotics, respectively. The presence of bacterial pathogens and the detection of antibiotic resistance genes from the houseflies collected from the hospices indicates the possible health risk to patients in hospices and the surrounding community. Therefore, it is imperative to keep high standards of hygiene, food preparation, safety, and control of houseflies in hospices.

Molecular detection of Fasciola, Schistosoma and Paramphistomum species from freshwater snails occurring in Gauteng and Free State provinces, South Africa.

Trematodiases are diseases caused by snail-borne trematode parasites that infect both animals and humans. Fascioliasis, schistosomiasis and paramphistomosis are some of these diseases and they affect millions of livestock, leading to significant economic losses. The aim of the study was to document freshwater snails occurring in selected study sites in the Free State and Gauteng provinces as well as identify and detect larval trematodes that they harbour. Samples were collected from a total of five study sites within two provinces of South Africa. Morphological features were used to identify snail species and were further confirmed genetically by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The larval trematodes were also detected by PCR, PCR-Restriction Length Fragment Polymorphism (PCR-RLFP), sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. A total of 887 freshwater snails were collected from Free State (n = 343) and Gauteng (n = 544). Five different genera of snails as well as species in the Succineidae family were documented. The snails in descending order of abundance were identified as: Physa (P.) spp. (51%), Succineidae spp. (20%), Galba (G.) truncatula (12%), Pseudosuccinea (Ps.) columella (10%), Planorbella (Pl.) duryi (6%) and Bulinus (B.) truncatus (1%). Approximately 272 DNA pools were created for genetic identification of snails and detection of trematode parasites. Schistosoma species were not detected from any of the snail species. A total prevalence of 46% was obtained for Fasciola hepatica in the identified snail species across all study sites. Overall, the highest prevalence of F. hepatica was obtained in Physa species (24%), whilst the lowest was observed in B. truncatus snails (1%). Forty three percent (43%) of the snail samples were PCR positive for Paramphistomum DNA. This is the first report of P. mexicana in South Africa. Fasciola hepatica was confirmed from all obtained snail species per study site. This is the first reported detection of F. hepatica in Pl. duryi and P. mexicana snails as well as the first confirmation of natural infection from P. acuta in South Africa.

Parasites of veterinary importance from domestic animals in uMkhanyakude district of KwaZulu-Natal province.

This study investigated the occurrence and phylogenetic relationship of protozoan parasites and Ehrlichia infecting domestic animals from three municipalities in uMkhanyakude district of KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. A total of 208 blood samples collected from clinically healthy cattle, sheep, goats and dogs from uMkhanyakude district were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, using either genus or species-specific primers to determine the occurrence and phylogenetic relationship of various protozoan parasites and Ehrlichia of veterinary importance. A total of 5/109 (4.6%) cattle were PCR-positive for the presence of Toxoplasma gondii, 33/109 (30.3%) for Babesia bovis, 24/109 (22.02%) for Babesia bigemina and 20/109 (18.3%) for Trypanosoma sp., while 3/10 (30%) of sheep were PCR-positive for Theileria ovis and none of the goats were positive for any of the detected pathogens. The co-infection of 4/109 (3.7%) B. bovis and B. bigemina was detected in cattle. Only Ehrlichia canis was detected in dogs with infection rate of 20/48 (41.7%). Sequences of PCR-positive isolates (B. bovis, B. bigemina, E. canis, T. ovis and T. gondii) showed that they were closely related to their relevant species from various countries. These findings have expanded our knowledge about the prevalence and phylogenetic similarity between protozoan parasites and Ehrlichia isolates of South African origin. To date, this is the first study in South Africa to detect T. gondii infections from cattle blood using PCR.