Graduate Program in Veterinary Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Veterinary Science Faculty, Veterinary Pathology Department, Veterinary Bacteriology Laboratory, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Lett Appl Microbiol. 2022 Jul;75(1):10-16. doi: 10.1111/lam.13694. Epub 2022 Mar 21.
Capybaras are rodent widely distributed in South America, which inhabit lakeside areas including ecological parks and urban sites. Due to anthropological interaction, monitoring zoonotic pathogens in wildlife is essential for One Health. We investigated faecal samples from capybaras living in an urban area in Rio Branco (Acre, Brazil) for the presence diarrhoeagenic E. coli. Virulence factors from shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) were screened by PCR. We detected at least one virulence factor in 81% of the animals, being classified as STEC and EHEC pathotypes. The presence of zoonotic E. coli in capybaras is a warning due to the highly frequent anthropological interactions with wild animals in this area. Our findings highlight the importance of investigating wild animals as carriers of zoonotic E. coli, requiring further investigations into wildlife surveillance and epidemiological monitoring.
水豚是一种广泛分布于南美洲的啮齿动物，栖息在湖边地区，包括生态公园和城市场所。由于人类活动的影响，监测野生动物中的人畜共患病病原体对于“One Health”至关重要。我们对生活在里奥布朗库（巴西阿克里州）市区的水豚的粪便样本进行了检测，以确定是否存在致腹泻性大肠杆菌。通过 PCR 筛选志贺毒素产生大肠杆菌（STEC）、肠出血性大肠杆菌（EHEC）和肠致病性大肠杆菌（EPEC）的毒力因子。我们发现，81%的动物至少携带一种毒力因子，被分类为 STEC 和 EHEC 血清型。由于该地区与野生动物的高度频繁的人类活动，水豚携带人畜共患大肠杆菌是一个警告。我们的研究结果强调了调查野生动物作为人畜共患大肠杆菌携带者的重要性，需要进一步调查野生动物监测和流行病学监测。
