title: Pathogenicity of Shigella in chickens.
abstract: Shigellosis in chickens was first reported in 2004. This study aimed to determine the pathogenicity of Shigella in chickens and the possibility of cross-infection between humans and chickens. The pathogenicity of Shigella in chickens was examined via infection of three-day-old SPF chickens with Shigella strain ZD02 isolated from a human patient. The virulence and invasiveness were examined by infection of the chicken intestines and primary chicken intestinal epithelial cells. The results showed Shigella can cause death via intraperitoneal injection in SPF chickens, but only induce depression via crop injection. Immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy revealed the Shigella can invade the intestinal epithelia. Immunohistochemistry of the primary chicken intestinal epithelial cells infected with Shigella showed the bacteria were internalized into the epithelial cells. Electron microscopy also confirmed that Shigella invaded primary chicken intestinal epithelia and was encapsulated by phagosome-like membranes. Our data demonstrate that Shigella can invade primary chicken intestinal epithelial cells in vitro and chicken intestinal mucosa in vivo, resulting in pathogenicity and even death. The findings suggest Shigella isolated from human or chicken share similar pathogenicity as well as the possibility of human-poultry cross-infection, which is of public health significance.
authors.affiliation: Collage of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Run
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Collage of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Collage of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Collage of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hong-tao
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Collage of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hong-ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Collage of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Collage of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xin-wei
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Collage of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chuan-qing
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D012760:Shigella / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D014774:Virulence