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Allen SE, Vigil SL, Jardine CM, Furukawa-Stoffer T, Colucci N, Ambagala A, Ruder MG, Nemeth NM. New Distribution Records of Biting Midges of the Genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) Latreille, Culicoides bergi and Culicoides baueri, in Southern Ontario, Canada. J Med Entomol 2022; 59:1467-1472. [PMID: 35468207 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Some species of Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) can be pests as well as pathogen vectors, but data on their distribution in Ontario, Canada, are sparse. Collecting this baseline data is important given ongoing, accelerated alterations in global climate patterns that may favor the establishment of some species in northern latitudes. Culicoides spp. were surveyed using UV light traps over two seasons in 2017 and 2018 at livestock farms in southern Ontario, Canada. Two Culicoides spp. not previously recorded in Canada were identified, C. bergi and C. baueri, representing new country and provincial records. Unlike some congenerics, these two species are not currently recognized as vectors of pathogens that pose a health risk to humans, livestock or wildlife in North America. However, the possibility that these Culicoides species may have recently expanded their geographic range, potentially in association with climate and/or landscape changes, warrants ongoing attention and research. Furthermore, our results provoke the question of the potential undocumented diversity of Culicoides spp. in Ontario and other parts of Canada, and whether other Culicoides spp. may be undergoing range expansion. The current and future distributions of Culicoides spp., and other potential vectors of human, agricultural, and wildlife health significance, are important to identify for proper disease risk assessment, mitigation, and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- S E Allen
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 419 Gordon St, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 419 Gordon Street, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - S L Vigil
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 589 D. W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - C M Jardine
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 419 Gordon St, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 419 Gordon Street, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - T Furukawa-Stoffer
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Animal Diseases, 225090 Township Road 9-1, Lethbridge, AB T1J 0P3, Canada
| | - N Colucci
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Animal Diseases, 225090 Township Road 9-1, Lethbridge, AB T1J 0P3, Canada
| | - A Ambagala
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, 1015 Arlington St, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P6, Canada
| | - M G Ruder
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 589 D. W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - N M Nemeth
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 589 D. W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Georgia, 501 D. W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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Lumsden GA, Zakharov EV, Dolynskyj S, Weese JS, Lindsay LR, Jardine CM. The application of next-generation sequence-based DNA barcoding for bloodmeal detection in host-seeking wild-caught Ixodes scapularis nymphs. BMC Res Notes 2021; 14:67. [PMID: 33602311 PMCID: PMC7891142 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-021-05481-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Our objective was to apply next-generation sequence-based DNA barcoding to identify the remnant larval bloodmeals in wild-caught host-seeking (unengorged) Ixodes scapularis nymphs (n = 216). To infer host species identification, vertebrate DNA was amplified using universal primers for cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and sequenced using next-generation sequencing (NGS) for comparison against known barcode references. Results Bloodmeal identification was unsuccessful in most samples (99% of 216 specimens) demonstrating a very low detection rate of this assay. Sequences that surpassed quality thresholds were obtained for 41.7% of nymphs (n = 90) and of those, confident species identification was obtained for 15.6% of nymphs (n = 14). Wild host identifications were only obtained from 2 specimens, where DNA from the eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) was identified. Human and bovine DNA was identified in remaining nymphs and considered to be contaminants. Further optimization of the technique is required to improve detection of remnant bloodmeals in host-seeking nymphs.
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Affiliation(s)
- G A Lumsden
- Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, N1G2W1, Canada.
| | - E V Zakharov
- Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph, 579 Gordon St., Guelph, ON, N1G2W1, Canada
| | - S Dolynskyj
- Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph, 579 Gordon St., Guelph, ON, N1G2W1, Canada
| | - J S Weese
- Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, N1G2W1, Canada
| | - L R Lindsay
- Public Health Agency of Canada, National Microbiology Laboratory, 1015 Arlington St., Winnipeg, MB, R3E 3R2, Canada
| | - C M Jardine
- Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, N1G2W1, Canada.,Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, N1G2W1, Canada
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3
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Jardine CM, Parmley EJ, Buchanan T, Nituch L, Ojkic D. Avian metapneumovirus subtype C in Wild Waterfowl in Ontario, Canada. Transbound Emerg Dis 2018; 65:1098-1102. [DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. M. Jardine
- Department of Pathobiology; University of Guelph; Guelph ON Canada
- Department of Pathobiology; Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative; University of Guelph; Guelph ON Canada
| | - E. J. Parmley
- Department of Pathobiology; Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative; University of Guelph; Guelph ON Canada
| | - T. Buchanan
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry; Trent University; Peterborough ON Canada
| | - L. Nituch
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry; Trent University; Peterborough ON Canada
| | - D. Ojkic
- Animal Health Laboratory; University of Guelph; Guelph ON Canada
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Rothenburger JL, Himsworth CG, Nemeth NM, Pearl DL, Jardine CM. Beyond abundance: How microenvironmental features and weather influence Bartonella tribocorum infection in wild Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus). Zoonoses Public Health 2017; 65:339-351. [PMID: 29274119 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) inhabit cities worldwide and carry a number of zoonotic pathogens. Although many studies have investigated rat-level risk factors, there is limited research on the effects of weather and environment on zoonotic pathogen transmission ecology in rats. The objective of this study was to use a disease ecology approach to understand how abiotic (weather and urban microenvironmental features) and biotic (relative rat population abundance) factors affect Bartonella tribocorum prevalence in urban Norway rats from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This potentially zoonotic pathogen is primarily transmitted by fleas and is common among rodents, including rats, around the world. During a systematic rat trap and removal study, city blocks were evaluated for 48 environmental variables related to waste, land/alley use and property condition, and rat abundance. We constructed 32 weather (temperature and precipitation) variables with time lags prior to the date we captured each rat. We fitted multivariable logistic regression models with rat pathogen status as the outcome. The odds of a rat testing positive for B. tribocorum were significantly lower for rats in city blocks with one or more low-rise apartment buildings compared to blocks with none (OR = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.04-0.80; p = .02). The reason for this association may be related to unmeasured factors that influence pathogen transmission and maintenance, as well as flea vector survival. Bartonella tribocorum infection in rats was positively associated with high minimum temperatures for several time periods prior to rat capture. This finding suggests that a baseline minimum temperature may be necessary for flea vector survival and B. tribocorum transmission among rats. There was no significant association with rat abundance, suggesting a lack of density-dependent pathogen transmission. This study is an important first step to understanding how environment and weather impacts rat infections including zoonotic pathogen ecology in urban ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Rothenburger
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative Ontario-Nunavut Region, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - C G Himsworth
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Animal Health Centre, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, British Columbia Region, Abbotsford, BC, Canada
| | - N M Nemeth
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - D L Pearl
- Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - C M Jardine
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative Ontario-Nunavut Region, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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5
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Viswanathan M, Pearl DL, Taboada EN, Parmley EJ, Mutschall SK, Jardine CM. Cluster Analysis of Campylobacter jejuni Genotypes Isolated from Small and Medium-Sized Mammalian Wildlife and Bovine Livestock from Ontario Farms. Zoonoses Public Health 2016; 64:185-193. [PMID: 27492809 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Using data collected from a cross-sectional study of 25 farms (eight beef, eight swine and nine dairy) in 2010, we assessed clustering of molecular subtypes of C. jejuni based on a Campylobacter-specific 40 gene comparative genomic fingerprinting assay (CGF40) subtypes, using unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) analysis, and multiple correspondence analysis. Exact logistic regression was used to determine which genes differentiate wildlife and livestock subtypes in our study population. A total of 33 bovine livestock (17 beef and 16 dairy), 26 wildlife (20 raccoon (Procyon lotor), five skunk (Mephitis mephitis) and one mouse (Peromyscus spp.) C. jejuni isolates were subtyped using CGF40. Dendrogram analysis, based on UPGMA, showed distinct branches separating bovine livestock and mammalian wildlife isolates. Furthermore, two-dimensional multiple correspondence analysis was highly concordant with dendrogram analysis showing clear differentiation between livestock and wildlife CGF40 subtypes. Based on multilevel logistic regression models with a random intercept for farm of origin, we found that isolates in general, and raccoons more specifically, were significantly more likely to be part of the wildlife branch. Exact logistic regression conducted gene by gene revealed 15 genes that were predictive of whether an isolate was of wildlife or bovine livestock isolate origin. Both multiple correspondence analysis and exact logistic regression revealed that in most cases, the presence of a particular gene (13 of 15) was associated with an isolate being of livestock rather than wildlife origin. In conclusion, the evidence gained from dendrogram analysis, multiple correspondence analysis and exact logistic regression indicates that mammalian wildlife carry CGF40 subtypes of C. jejuni distinct from those carried by bovine livestock. Future studies focused on source attribution of C. jejuni in human infections will help determine whether wildlife transmit Campylobacter jejuni directly to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Viswanathan
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - D L Pearl
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - E N Taboada
- Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses, Public Health Agency of Canada, c/o Animal Disease Research Institute, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - E J Parmley
- Centre for Foodborne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - S K Mutschall
- Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses, Public Health Agency of Canada, c/o Animal Disease Research Institute, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - C M Jardine
- Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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6
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Viswanathan M, Pearl DL, Taboada EN, Parmley EJ, Mutschall S, Jardine CM. Molecular and Statistical Analysis of Campylobacter spp. and Antimicrobial-Resistant Campylobacter Carriage in Wildlife and Livestock from Ontario Farms. Zoonoses Public Health 2016; 64:194-203. [PMID: 27460061 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to (i) compare the carriage of Campylobacter and antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter among livestock and mammalian wildlife on Ontario farms, and (ii) investigate the potential sharing of Campylobacter subtypes between livestock and wildlife. Using data collected from a cross-sectional study of 25 farms in 2010, we assessed associations, using mixed logistic regression models, between Campylobacter and antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter carriage and the following explanatory variables: animal species (beef, dairy, swine, raccoon, other), farm type (swine, beef, dairy), type of sample (livestock or wildlife) and Campylobacter species (jejuni, coli, other). Models included a random effect to account for clustering by farm where samples were collected. Samples were subtyped using a Campylobacter-specific 40 gene comparative fingerprinting assay. A total of 92 livestock and 107 wildlife faecal samples were collected, and 72% and 27% tested positive for Campylobacter, respectively. Pooled faecal samples from livestock were significantly more likely to test positive for Campylobacter than wildlife samples. Relative to dairy cattle, pig samples were at significantly increased odds of testing positive for Campylobacter. The odds of isolating Campylobacter jejuni from beef cattle samples were significantly greater compared to dairy cattle and raccoon samples. Fifty unique subtypes of Campylobacter were identified, and only one subtype was found in both wildlife and livestock samples. Livestock Campylobacter isolates were significantly more likely to exhibit antimicrobial resistance (AMR) compared to wildlife Campylobacter isolates. Campylobacter jejuni was more likely to exhibit AMR when compared to C. coli. However, C. jejuni isolates were only resistant to tetracycline, and C. coli isolates exhibited multidrug resistance patterns. Based on differences in prevalence of Campylobacter spp. and resistant Campylobacter between livestock and wildlife samples, and the lack of similarity in molecular subtypes and AMR patterns, we concluded that the sharing of Campylobacter species between livestock and mammalian wildlife was uncommon.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Viswanathan
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - D L Pearl
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - E N Taboada
- Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses, Public Health Agency of Canada, c/o Animal Disease Research Institute, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - E J Parmley
- Centre for Foodborne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - S Mutschall
- Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses, Public Health Agency of Canada, c/o Animal Disease Research Institute, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - C M Jardine
- Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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7
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Medhanie GA, Pearl DL, McEwen SA, Guerin MT, Jardine CM, Schrock J, LeJeune JT. Spatial Clustering of
Escherichia coli
with Reduced Susceptibility to Cefotaxime and Ciprofloxacin among Dairy Cattle Farms Relative to European Starling Night Roosts. Zoonoses Public Health 2016; 64:204-212. [DOI: 10.1111/zph.12296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G. A. Medhanie
- Department of Population Medicine Ontario Veterinary College University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
| | - D. L. Pearl
- Department of Population Medicine Ontario Veterinary College University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
| | - S. A. McEwen
- Department of Population Medicine Ontario Veterinary College University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
| | - M. T. Guerin
- Department of Population Medicine Ontario Veterinary College University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
| | - C. M. Jardine
- Department of Pathobiology Ontario Veterinary College University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
| | - J. Schrock
- Food Animal and Health Research Program Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center The Ohio State University Wooster USA
| | - J. T. LeJeune
- Food Animal and Health Research Program Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center The Ohio State University Wooster USA
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Bondo KJ, Pearl DL, Janecko N, Boerlin P, Reid-Smith RJ, Parmley J, Jardine CM. Epidemiology of Salmonella on the Paws and in the Faeces of Free-Ranging Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) in Southern Ontario, Canada. Zoonoses Public Health 2015; 63:303-10. [PMID: 26404182 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Raccoons are common in urban and rural environments and can carry a wide range of bacteria, including Salmonella, that can negatively affect human and livestock health. Although previous studies have reported that raccoons shed a variety of Salmonella serovars in their faeces, it is unknown whether Salmonella is carried on raccoon paws. Our objective was to compare the prevalence of Salmonella on the paws and in the faeces of raccoons in south-western Ontario. Raccoons were sampled in a repeat cross-sectional study on five swine farms and five conservation areas from May to October 2012. A total of 416 paired faecal and paw samples were collected from 285 individual raccoons. Salmonella was detected in 18% (75/416; 95% CI, 14-22%) and 27% (111/416; 95% CI, 22-31%) of paw and faecal samples, respectively. Salmonella was detected only on paws in 8% (35/416; 95% CI, 5.9-11.5%), only in faeces in 17% (71/416; 95% CI, 13.6-21.0%) and on both paws and in faeces in 10% (40/416; 95% CI, 7.0-12.9%) of raccoon captures. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to examine associations between the presence of Salmonella and age (adult, juvenile), sex (male, female), location type (swine farm, conservation area), sample type (faeces, paw) and season (May-July and August-October). Random intercepts were included to account for clustering by individual animal and location. Significant differences, that varied by sample type and season, were noted in the prevalence of Salmonella carriage between sexes. Raccoons can carry Salmonella serovars known to infect humans and livestock on their paws and/or in their faeces and therefore have the potential to mechanically and biologically disseminate Salmonella among livestock facilities and human recreational areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- K J Bondo
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - D L Pearl
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - N Janecko
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Centre for Food-borne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (CFEZID), Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - P Boerlin
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - R J Reid-Smith
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Centre for Food-borne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (CFEZID), Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - J Parmley
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Centre for Food-borne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (CFEZID), Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - C M Jardine
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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Medhanie GA, Pearl DL, McEwen SA, Guerin MT, Jardine CM, Schrock J, LeJeune JT. A longitudinal study of feed contamination by European starling excreta in Ohio dairy farms (2007-2008). J Dairy Sci 2014; 97:5230-8. [PMID: 24881798 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2014-8045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to understand the temporal pattern of contamination of cattle feed by starling excrement on dairy farms and to evaluate the temporal pattern in recovering Escherichia coli O157:H7 or Salmonella in relation to the absolute mass of excrement recovered. A longitudinal study was conducted on 15 dairy farms in Ohio from July 2007 to October 2008. One open-topped tray filled with bird feed was placed near a cattle feeding site; bird excrement from the tray was weighed monthly for 12 consecutive months. Linear regression models with a random intercept for farm were computed to examine the association between the absolute weight of excrement recovered each month or the farm-specific standard score for weight of excrement, and month or season. Exact logistic regression was used to determine whether an association between recovering E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella was present and the amount of excrement recovered and season. A spatial scan statistic was used to test for evidence of space-time clustering of excrement, based on the standard score for the weight of the excrement, among our study farms. A total of 5 of 179 excrement samples (2.79%) were positive for E. coli O157:H7 and 2 (1.12%) were positive for Salmonella. A significantly higher level of contamination with excrement was observed during the winter. The odds of recovering a pathogen increased with the amount of excrement recovered and decreased if the excrement was collected in the winter. A spatio-temporal cluster of contamination with excrement was detected. These findings provide basic information for future quantitative microbial risk assessments concerning the role of starlings in spreading enteric pathogens on dairy farms.
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Affiliation(s)
- G A Medhanie
- Department of Population Medicine, university of guelph, guelph, oN, N1g 2W1, Canada.
| | - D L Pearl
- Department of Population Medicine, university of guelph, guelph, oN, N1g 2W1, Canada
| | - S A McEwen
- Department of Population Medicine, university of guelph, guelph, oN, N1g 2W1, Canada
| | - M T Guerin
- Department of Population Medicine, university of guelph, guelph, oN, N1g 2W1, Canada
| | - C M Jardine
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - J Schrock
- Food Animal and Health Research Program, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster 44691
| | - J T LeJeune
- Food Animal and Health Research Program, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster 44691
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