Identification of bacterial infection in neotropical primates

KPC-2-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from wild animals in Brazil

Pseudomonas aeruginosa an opportunistic pathogen that causes infections in hospitals and has high morbidity and mortality rates. In addition, it is a widely distributed environmental bacterium that can colonise a variety of habitats. Although wild animals do not have access to antibiotics, antibacterial resistance in these animals has increasingly been reported worldwide. Although the presence of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) is uncommon in P. aeruginosa, it has been increasingly reported. This study examined KPC-2-producing P. aeruginosa in wild animals. A total of 27 P. aeruginosa isolates were obtained from clinical cases treated at the Microbiology Laboratory of the Veterinary Hospital of UFMT, Brazil. P. aeruginosa and blaKPC-2 carbapenemase resistance genes were identified using PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility of KPC-producing P. aeruginosa was evaluated using the disk diffusion method. The blaKPC-2 gene was detected in 40.7% of the isolates (11/27). The rates of antimicrobial resistance and intermediate sensitivity were as follows: piperacillin/tazobactam (44.4%), imipenem (29.6%), meropenem (51.8%), amikacin (77.8%), cefepime (85.2%), and ciprofloxacin (70.4%). Twelve isolates were classified as Multidrug-resistant (MDR). This study presents the first report of P. aeruginosa with the blaKPC-2 gene in wild animals in Brazil, highlighting the importance of molecular research on resistance genes in P. aeruginosa from a One-Health perspective.

PERFIL DE SENSIBILIDADE A ANTIMICROBIANOS POR COMPONENTES DA MICROBIOTA BACTERIANA ORAL E RETAL DE PRIMATAS NÃO HUMANOS

Resumo Os objetivos desta pesquisa foram identificar bactérias isoladas da cavidade oral e da ampola retal de Saimiri collinsi e Callithrix jacchus e determinar a sensibilidade a 16 antimicrobianos. Trinta indivíduos de cada espécie foram analisados e foram isoladas 136 bactérias em C. jacchus e 84 em S. collinsi. As bactérias isoladas em maior número em S. collinsi foram Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Raoutella ornithinolytica, Staphylococcus xylosus e Proteus mirabilis. As bactérias isoladas em C. jacchus foram K. pneumoniae, E. cloacae, E. coli, Serratia marcescens e S. xylosus na cavidade oral e ampola retal. O teste de sensibilidade mostrou que, dentre as cepas isoladas, os maiores percentuais de resistência foram observados para ampicilina, amoxicilina, cefalotina e nitrofurantoína. Na cavidade oral de ambas as espécies as cepas foram sensíveis à ceftazidima, ceftriaxona, meropenem, amicacina, levofloxacina e a sulfametoxazol/trimetoprim. Na ampola retal, as isoladas foram sensíveis à cefoxitina, ceftazidima, ceftriaxona, ertapenem, meropenem, amicacina e levofloxacina. Conclui-se que as espécies de S. collinsi e C. jacchus apresentam sua microbiota oral e retal composta por várias espécies bacterianas e que a resistência pode ser um problema no criatório, uma vez que as cepas mostraram percentuais elevados de resistência a diferentes antimicrobianos.

Suppurative peritonitis by Klebsiella pneumoniae in captive gold-handed tamarin (Saguinus midas midas)

This report describes an outbreak of suppurative peritonitis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae in an adult female of captive golden-handed tamarin (Saguinus midas midas). Two virulent and multidrug-resistant strains were isolated and classified through MLST as ST60 and ST1263. The microbiological diagnosis works as a support tool for preventive measures.

Diversity of zoonotic enterohepatic Helicobacter species and detection of a putative novel gastric Helicobacter species in wild and wild-born captive chimpanzees and western lowland gorillas

A number of Helicobacter species cause gastrointestinal or hepatic disease in humans, including H. pylori, gastric non-H. pylori helicobacters from animal origin and enterohepatic Helicobacter species. Little is known on the presence of Helicobacter species in great apes, our closest living relatives and potential reservoirs of microorganisms that might emerge in humans. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of gastric and enterohepatic Helicobacter species in African chimpanzees and gorillas. Fresh fecal samples were collected from wild endangered chimpanzees and critically endangered western lowland gorillas from different African National Parks, as well as wild-born captive animals from primate sanctuaries. Intact Helicobacter bacteria were demonstrated in feces by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Screening using a Helicobacter genus-specific PCR revealed the presence of Helicobacter DNA in the majority of animals in all groups. Cloning and sequencing of 16S rRNA gene fragments revealed a high homology to sequences from various zoonotic enterohepatic Helicobacter species, including H. cinaedi and H. canadensis. A number of gorillas and chimpanzees also tested positive using PCR assays designed to amplify part of the ureAB gene cluster and the hsp60 gene of gastric helicobacters. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of a putative novel zoonotic gastric Helicobacter taxon/species. For this species, we propose the name 'Candidatus Helicobacter homininae', pending isolation and further genetic characterization. The presence of several Helicobacter species not only implies a possible health threat for these endangered great apes, but also a possible zoonotic transmission of gastric and enterohepatic helicobacters from these primate reservoirs to humans.