title: Aerobic cloacal and pharyngeal bacterial flora in six species of free-living birds.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the culturable aerobic pharyngeal and cloacal bacterial flora of free-living birds, to determine the physiological bacterial microbiota, to identify possible interactions between feeding behaviour and the composition of the pharyngeal and cloacal microflora and to investigate the occurrence of pathogenic bacteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cloacal and pharyngeal swabs of 167 free-living birds, including water rails (Rallus aquaticus), spotted crakes (Porzana porzana), mute swans (Cygnus olor), barn swallows (Hirundo rustica), reed warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) and black cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) from Germany, were cultured to determine the prevalence of aerobic bacteria. Statistical analysis of bacterial findings and feeding behaviour was performed. A widespread soil and water bacteria were isolated, which are expected to be present in the habitat and food. However, some potentially avian- and human-pathogenic bacteria, such as Aeromonas hydrophila, Elizabethkingia meningoseptica, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli, were also recovered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Free-living birds of the examined species harbour several environmental bacteria, which could be facultative pathogenic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of bacteria in healthy free-living birds of the species included in this survey is influenced by environmental and alimentary factors.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Birds and Reptiles, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stenkat
authors.forename: M-E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Krautwald-Junghanns
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmitz Ornés
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eilers
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D044044:Aeromonadaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001717:Birds / Q000382:microbiology*; D002988:Cloaca / Q000382:microbiology*; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: Aeromonas; Enterobacteriaceae; Pseudomonas; bacterial flora; free-living birds; microflora