Dynamics of Campylobacter colonization of a natural host, Sturnus vulgaris (European starling).
Wild European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) shed Campylobacter at high rates, suggesting that they may be a source of human and farm animal infection. A survey of Campylobacter shedding of 957 wild starlings was undertaken by culture of faecal specimens and genetic analysis of the campylobacters isolated: shedding rates were 30.6% for Campylobacter jejuni, 0.6% for C. coli and 6.3% for C. lari. Genotyping by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and antigen sequence typing established that these bacteria were distinct from poultry or human disease isolates with the ST-177 and ST-682 clonal complexes possibly representing starling-adapted genotypes. There was seasonal variation in both shedding rate and genotypic diversity, both exhibiting a maximum during the late spring/early summer. Host age also affected Campylobacter shedding, which was higher in younger birds, and turnover was rapid with no evidence of cross-immunity among Campylobacter species or genotypes. In nestlings, C. jejuni shedding was evident from 9 days of age but siblings were not readily co-infected. The dynamics of Campylobacter infection of starlings differed from that observed in commercial poultry and consequently there was no evidence that wild starlings represent a major source of Campylobacter infections of food animals or humans.
Colles
F M
FM
The Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3SY, UK. frances.colles@zoo.ox.ac.uk
McCarthy
N D
ND
Howe
J C
JC
Devereux
C L
CL
Gosler
A G
AG
Maiden
M C J
MC
D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D015995:Prevalence; D012621:Seasons; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D046749:Starlings / Q000382:microbiology*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial