title: Detection of Salmonella enterica in Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) of Chilean Patagonia: evidences of inter-species transmission.
abstract: Patagonia in southern South America is among the few world regions where direct human impact is still limited but progressively increasing, mainly represented by tourism, farming, fishing and mining activities. The sanitary condition of Patagonian wildlife is unknown, in spite of being critical for the assessment of anthropogenic effects there. The aim of this study was the characterization of Salmonella enterica strains isolated from wild colonies of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) located in Magdalena Island and Otway Sound, in Chilean Patagonia. Eight isolates of Salmonella were found, belonging to Agona and Enteritidis serotypes, with an infection rate of 0·38%. Resistance to ampicillin, cefotaxime, ceftiofur and tetracycline antimicrobials were detected, and some of these strains showed genotypic similarity with Salmonella strains isolated from humans and gulls, suggesting inter-species transmission cycles and strengthening the role of penguins as sanitary sentinels in the Patagonian ecosystem.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Silvoagropecuarias y Veterinarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago,Chile.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dougnac
authors.affiliation: Programa de Magister en Ciencias Animales y Veterinarias,Universidad de Chile,Santiago,Chile.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pardo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, FAVET,Universidad de Chile,Santiago,Chile.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meza
authors.affiliation: Programa de Magister en Ciencias Animales y Veterinarias,Universidad de Chile,Santiago,Chile.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arredondo
authors.affiliation: Centro de rehabilitación de aves Leñadura, Punta Arenas,Chile.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Blank
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, FAVET,Universidad de Chile,Santiago,Chile.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Abalos
authors.affiliation: Emerging and Re-emerging Zoonoses Research Network, Santiago,Chile.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Salud Pública,Ministerio de Salud, Santiago,Chile.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, FAVET,Universidad de Chile,Santiago,Chile.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fredes
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, FAVET,Universidad de Chile,Santiago,Chile.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Retamal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000382:microbiology; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D046091:Charadriiformes / Q000382:microbiology; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D017753:Ecosystem; D006801:Humans; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000635:transmission; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D019779:Salmonella enterica / Q000187:drug effects; D046429:Spheniscidae / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: transmission