Occurrence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella species and potentially pathogenic Escherichia coli in free-living seals of Canadian Atlantic and eastern Arctic waters.
Zoonoses Public Health
; 70(6): 542-554, 2023 09.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37317052
ABSTRACT
Seal populations in Canadian waters provide sustenance to coastal communities. There is potential for pathogenic and/or antimicrobial-resistant bacteria to transfer to humans through inadvertent faecal contamination of seal products. The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence and potential antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes in faecal samples collected from grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and from ringed seals (Pusa hispida) in Frobisher Bay and Eclipse Sound, Nunavut, Canada. Grey seals were harvested during commercial hunts or during scientific sampling; ringed seals were collected by Inuit hunters during subsistence harvests. Virulence genes defining pathogenic E. coli were identified by PCR, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on recovered isolates. In grey seals, E. coli was detected in 34/44 (77%) samples, and pathogenic E. coli (extraintestinal E. coli [ExPEC], enteropathogenic E. coli [EPEC] or ExPEC/EPEC) was detected in 13/44 (29%) samples. Non-susceptibility to beta-lactams and quinolones was observed in isolates from 18 grey seals. In ringed seals from Frobisher Bay, E. coli was detected in 4/45 (9%) samples; neither virulence genes nor antimicrobial resistance was detected in these isolates. In ringed seals from Eclipse Sound, E. coli was detected in 8/50 (16%) samples and pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC and ExPEC/EPEC) in 5/50 (10%) samples. One seal from Eclipse Sound had an E. coli isolate resistant to beta-lactams. A monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium was recovered from 8/50 (16%) seals from Eclipse Sound. All Salmonella isolates were resistant to ampicillin, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole and tetracycline. L. monocytogenes was not detected in any sample. These findings suggest that seals may act as important sentinel species and as reservoirs or vectors for antimicrobial-resistant and virulent E. coli and Salmonella species. Further characterization of these isolates would provide additional insights into the source and spread of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes in these populations of free-living seals.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Phocidae
/
Escherichia coli Enteropatógena
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Animals
/
Humans
País/Región como asunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Zoonoses Public Health
Asunto de la revista:
MEDICINA VETERINARIA
/
SAUDE PUBLICA
Año:
2023
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Canadá