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Isolation and Characterization of Brachyspira spp. Including “Brachyspira hampsonii” from Lesser Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) in the Canadian Arctic

  • Environmental Microbiology
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Abstract

Brachyspira is associated with diarrhea and colitis in pigs, and control of these pathogens is complicated by their complex ecology. Identification of wildlife reservoirs of Brachyspira requires the discrimination of colonized animals and those simply contaminated through environmental exposure. Lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) were sampled in the Canadian arctic during the summer of 2011, and cloacal swabs were cultured on selective media. Brachyspira isolates were obtained from 15/170 (8.8 %) samples, and 12/15 isolates were similar to isolates previously recovered from pigs, including “Brachyspira hampsonii”, a recently characterized species associated with dysentery-like disease in pigs in North America. A pilot inoculation study with one strongly β-hemolytic B. hampsonii isolate resulted in fecal shedding of the isolate by inoculated pigs for up to 14 days post-inoculation, but no severe clinical disease. Results of this study indicate that lesser snow geese can be colonized by Brachyspira strains that can also colonize pigs. Millions of lesser snow geese (C. caerulescens caerulescens) travel through the major pork-producing areas of Canada and the USA during their annual migration, making them a potential factor in the continental distribution of these bacteria.

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Acknowledgements

Funding for this study was provided by the Canadian Swine Health Board. Arctic snow goose sample collections were funded by Environment Canada, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Strategic Applications of Genomics in the Environment (STAGE), Ducks Unlimited Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research, University of Saskatchewan, and the Northern Scientific Training Program. The authors are grateful to Hollie Lemieux for her expert technical contributions to the inoculation trial. We thank G. Gilchrist, M. Travers, J. Leafloor, G. Ball, R. Alisauskas, D. Kellett, K. Drake, and S. Elmore for the assistance in sample collection in the field.

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Correspondence to Janet E. Hill.

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Rubin, J.E., Harms, N.J., Fernando, C. et al. Isolation and Characterization of Brachyspira spp. Including “Brachyspira hampsonii” from Lesser Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) in the Canadian Arctic. Microb Ecol 66, 813–822 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-013-0273-5

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