title: Prevalence of enteropathogenic bacteria in common quail (Coturnix coturnix).
abstract: The study was aimed at evaluating the prevalence of enteropathogenic bacteria (i.e. Campylobacter spp., shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp.) in common quail (Coturnix coturnix). To achieve this goal, 70 common quails were collected during the hunting season in the Campania region (southern Italy). From each bird, cloacal swab samples were collected and subjected to culture methods, polymerase chain reaction and serotyping. The results of the present study showed a prevalence of 21.4% and 5.7% for Campylobacter spp. and shigatoxin-producing E. coli, respectively. In contrast, no Salmonella spp. was isolated. These findings show that common quail, as migratory birds, may constitute an environmental carrier of these pathogens representing a source of infection for other birds, livestock and humans.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions , Università di Napoli Federico II , Napoli , Italy.
authors.forename: Ludovico
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dipineto
authors.forename: Tamara P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gargiulo
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Borrelli
authors.forename: Luigi M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: De Luca Bossa
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santaniello
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buonocore
authors.forename: Lucia F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Menna
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fioretti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003370:Coturnix / Q000382:microbiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D012475:Salmonella / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012703:Serotyping / Q000662:veterinary