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Molecular Epidemiology of Zoonotic Bacterial Pathogens

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A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Bacterial Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2023) | Viewed by 11010

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Shlomo Blum

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Guest Editor

Department of Bacteriology and Mycology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Israel Veterinary Services and Animal Health, Bet Dagan, Israel
Interests: veterinary and zoonotic bacterial pathogens; mastitis and udder health; bacterial genomics and molecular epidemiology; antibiotic resistance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Zoonotic diseases are diseases transmitted between humans and animals. Roughly, more than 60% of human pathogens are zoonotic in nature, and most are bacterial infections. The ever-growing demand for food from animal origin, e.g., meat and dairy products, leads to the intensification of livestock farming and global trade of live animals and animal products, promoting the spread of potential zoonotic bacteria worldwide. In addition, climate change and anthropogenic environmental alterations facilitate the reemergence of old, and the rise of novel, zoonotic pathogens, many of which also pose a threat to animal health. Besides livestock, demographic changes, rising income levels, and the COVID-19 pandemic have driven more people to adopt pets, which are also a source of zoonotic infections. This Special Issue will focus on the molecular epidemiology of zoonotic bacteria, with emphasis on studies describing the use of molecular tools to track, study, or monitor zoonotic bacteria within animal populations, humans, and between animals and humans, but also studies aiming to understand the transmission, population structure, and evolution of zoonotic bacterial pathogens. Studies describing the application or validation of new methodologies in this area are also welcome. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is currently one of the major challenges to human and animal health worldwide. Studies on the epidemiology of AMR in zoonotic bacteria are also within the scope of the issue.

Dr. Shlomo Blum
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

molecular epidemiology
zoonosis
bacterial pathogens
whole-genome sequencing
antimicrobial resistance
transmission
animals
infections
population structure
livestock

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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9 pages, 638 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Glanders Diagnosis in an Asymptomatic Mare from Brazil: Insights from Serology, Microbiological Culture, Mass Spectrometry, and Genome Sequencing

by Paula Adas Pereira Suniga, Cynthia Mantovani, Maria Goretti dos Santos, Andréa Alves do Egito, Newton Valério Verbisck, Lenita Ramires dos Santos, Alberto Martín Rivera Dávila, Cristina Kraemer Zimpel, Maria Carolina Sisco Zerpa, Daniela Pontes Chiebao, Ana Márcia de Sá Guimarães, Alessandra Figueiredo de Castro Nassar and Flábio Ribeiro de Araújo

Pathogens 2023, 12(10), 1250; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12101250 - 17 Oct 2023

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Abstract

This manuscript elucidates the occurrence of glanders in an asymptomatic mare from Brazil presenting positive Burkholderia mallei antibody titers. The diagnosis was established through a multi-pronged approach encompassing microbiological culture, mass spectrometry, and genome sequencing. The outbreak occurred in 2019 in Tatuí, São Paulo, Brazil, and the infected mare, despite displaying no clinical symptoms, had multiple miliary lesions in the liver, as well as intense catarrhal discharge in the trachea. Samples were collected from various organs and subjected to bacterial isolation, molecular detection, and identification. The strain was identified as B. mallei using PCR and confirmed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Whole-genome sequencing revealed a genome size of 5.51 Mb with a GC content of 65.8%, 5871 genes (including 4 rRNA and 53 tRNA genes), and 5583 coding DNA sequences (CDSs). Additionally, 227 predicted pseudogenes were detected. In silico analysis of different genomic loci that allow for differentiation with Burkholderia pseudomallei confirmed the identity of the isolate as B. mallei, in addition to the characteristic genome size. The BAC 86/19 strain was identified as lineage 3, sublineage 2, which includes other strains from Brazil, India, and Iran. The genome sequencing of this strain provides valuable information that can be used to better understand the pathogen and its epidemiology, as well as to develop diagnostic tools for glanders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Epidemiology of Zoonotic Bacterial Pathogens)

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14 pages, 2438 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Molecular Investigations of Two First Brucella suis Biovar 2 Infections Cases in French Dogs

by Guillaume Girault, Vitomir Djokic, Fathia Petot-Bottin, Ludivine Perrot, Bourgoin Thibaut, Hoffmann Sébastien, Acacia Ferreira Vicente, Claire Ponsart and Luca Freddi

Pathogens 2023, 12(6), 792; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12060792 - 1 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2284

Abstract

Despite Brucella suis biovar 2’s (BSB2) active circulation in wildlife, no canine infections have been reported. The present paper is the first to describe two cases of BSB2 infections in French dogs. The first case occurred in 2020 and concerned a 13-year-old male neutered Border Collie with clinical signs of prostatitis. The urine culture revealed the excretion of significant levels of Brucella in the sample. The second case concerned a German Shepherd with bilateral orchitis, in which it was possible to detect Brucella colonies following neutering. HRM-PCR and classical biotyping methods classified both isolated strains as BSB2, in contrast to expected B. canis, which is usually the etiological agent of canine brucellosis in Europe. The wgSNP and MLVA analyses highlighted the genetic proximity of two isolates to BSB2 strains originating from wildlife. No pig farms were present in the proximity of either dog’s residence, ruling out potential spill over from infected pigs. Nevertheless, the dogs used to take walks in the surrounding forests, where contact with wildlife (i.e., wild boars or hares, or their excrements) was possible. These cases highlight the importance of adopting a One Health approach to control the presence of zoonotic bacteria in wild animals and avoid spillovers into domestic animals and, potentially, humans. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Epidemiology of Zoonotic Bacterial Pathogens)

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17 pages, 2766 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Molecular Characterization of Leptospira Species Detected in the Kidneys of Slaughtered Livestock in Abattoirs in Gauteng Province, South Africa

by Banenat B. Dogonyaro, Henriette van Heerden, Andrew D. Potts, Folorunso O. Fasina, Arnau Casanovas-Massana, Francis B. Kolo, Christine Lötter, Charles Byaruhanga, Albert I. Ko, Elsio A. Wunder, Jr. and Abiodun A. Adesiyun

Pathogens 2023, 12(5), 666; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12050666 - 30 Apr 2023

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Abstract

Leptospira was investigated in kidneys (n = 305) from slaughtered livestock in the Gauteng Province abattoirs, South Africa, using a culture medium to isolate Leptospira, followed by the LipL32 qPCR to detect Leptospira DNA. The SecY gene region was amplified, sequenced, and analyzed for LipL32 qPCR-positive samples or Leptospira isolates. The overall frequency of isolation of Leptospira spp. was 3.9% (12/305), comprising 4.8% (9/186), 4.1% (3/74), and 0% (0/45) from cattle, pigs, and sheep, respectively (p > 0.05). However, with LipL32 qPCR, the overall frequency of Leptospira DNA was 27.5%, consisting of 26.9%, 20.3%, and 42.2% for cattle, pigs, and sheep, respectively (p = 0.03). Based on 22 SecY sequences, the phylogenetic tree identified the L. interrogans cluster with serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae and the L. borgpetersenii cluster with serovar Hardjo bovis strain Lely 607. This study is the first molecular characterization of Leptospira spp. from livestock in South Africa. The reference laboratory uses an eight-serovar microscopic agglutination test panel for leptospirosis diagnosis, of which L. borgpetersenii serovar Hardjo bovis is not part. Our data show that pathogenic L. interrogans and L. borgpetersenii are circulating in the livestock population. Diagnostic use of molecular methods will eliminate or reduce the under-reporting of leptospirosis in livestock, particularly sheep, in South Africa. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Epidemiology of Zoonotic Bacterial Pathogens)

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11 pages, 623 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Familiar Outbreak of Monophasic Salmonella serovar Typhimurium (ST34) Involving Three Dogs and Their Owner’s Children

by Valeria Russini, Carlo Corradini, Emilia Rasile, Giuliana Terracciano, Matteo Senese, Federica Bellagamba, Roberta Amoruso, Francesco Bottoni, Paola De Santis, Stefano Bilei, Maria Laura De Marchis and Teresa Bossù

Pathogens 2022, 11(12), 1500; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11121500 - 8 Dec 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1508

Abstract

Salmonella is a Gram-negative enteric bacterium responsible for the foodborne and waterborne disease salmonellosis, which is the second most reported bacterial zoonosis in humans. Many animals are potential sources of salmonellosis, including dogs, cats, and other pets. We report the case of an outbreak of salmonellosis in a family in central Italy, affecting two children and involving their three dogs as carriers. One of the children needed medical care and hospitalisation. Isolation and analysis of stool samples from the sibling and the animals present in the house were carried out. Serotyping allowed the identification of S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium in its monophasic variant for all the isolates. The results of whole-genome sequencing confirmed that the strains were tightly related. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test documented the resistance to ampicillin, sulfamethoxazole, and tetracycline. The origin of the zoonotic outbreak could not be assessed; however, the case study showed a clear passage of the pathogen between the human and non-human members of the family. The possibility of a transmission from a dog to a human suggests the need for further studies on the potential ways of transmission of salmonellosis through standard and alternative feed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Epidemiology of Zoonotic Bacterial Pathogens)

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Review

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20 pages, 964 KiB

Open AccessReview

Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis Analysis of Bovine Associated Staphylococcus aureus: A Review

by Zoubida Dendani Chadi and Marie-Anne Arcangioli

Pathogens 2023, 12(7), 966; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12070966 - 24 Jul 2023

Viewed by 2717

Abstract

For decades now, DNA fingerprinting by means of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) continues to be the most widely used to separate large DNA molecules and distinguish between different strains in alternating pulses. This is done by isolating intact chromosomal DNA and using restriction enzymes with specific restriction sites to generate less than 30 restriction fragments from 50 Kb to 10 Mbp. These results make clone-specific band profiles easy to compare. Specialized equipment is required for the optimization of DNA separation and resolution, among which a contour-clamped homogeneous electric field (CHEF) apparatus is the most commonly used. As a result, the PFGE analysis of a bacterial genome provides useful information in terms of epidemiological investigations of different bacterial pathogens. For Staphylococcus aureus subtyping, despite its limitations and the emergence of alternative methods, PFGE analysis has proven to be an adequate choice and the gold standard for determining genetic relatedness, especially in outbreak detection and short-term surveillance in the veterinary field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Epidemiology of Zoonotic Bacterial Pathogens)

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