title: Prevalence of Escherichia coli serogroups and human virulence factors in faeces of urban Canada geese (Branta canadensis).
abstract: This was the first study to exhaustively characterize the prevalence of Escherichia coli sero-groups in any wildlife species. Faecal samples from Canada geese (Branta canadensis) were collected over a single year in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. The overall prevalence for E. coli ranged from 2% during the coldest time of the year to 94% during the warmest months of the year. During the time of year when nonmigratory geese dominated the local goose population (March-July) the prevalence of enterotoxogenic (ETEC) forms of E. coli was 13.0%. The prevalence of enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) forms was 6.0%, while prevalence for enteroinvasive (EIEC) and enteroagglomerative (EAEC) forms was 4.6 and 1.3%, respectively, during the same period. We also examined all samples positive for E. coli for genes coding for virulence factors, including: SLT-I, SLT-II, eae, hly-A, K1, LT, STa, STb, CNF1, and CNF2. Three isolates were positive for human virulence factors, representing a 2% prevalence for faeces containing potential human toxins. Genes for STa were isolated from ETEC strains O-8 and O-167, while the gene for K1 was isolated from an O-8 (ETEC) serogroup. These data will prove useful in focusing attention on the risks that increasing populations of urban Canada geese pose to public health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kullas
authors.forename: Matt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coles
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rhyan
authors.forename: Larry
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003120:Colorado; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005777:Geese / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012621:Seasons; D012703:Serotyping; D014505:Urban Population