Search Results (3)

Diarrhea in alpaca crias significantly impacts livestock health in high-altitude regions, with Escherichia coli as a common pathogen. This study analyzed 10 E. coli isolates from diarrheic and healthy alpacas using whole-genome sequencing to assess genetic diversity, virulence factors, and antibiotic resistance. Predominant sequence types (ST73, ST29), serotypes (O22:H1, O109:H11), and phylogroups (B2, B1, A) were identified. Virulence profiling revealed ExPEC-like and EPEC pathotypes, while resistance genes for β-lactams (blaEC-15), fosfomycin (glpT_E448K), and colistin (pmrB) were prevalent. These findings highlight the need for genomic surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship to manage E. coli infections in alpacas and reduce public health risks. Full article

Alpacas are the major camelid species in Europe held for hobbies, animal-aided therapy, and commercial reasons. As a result, health-related issues associated with alpacas are of growing significance. This especially holds true for one of the most serious infectious diseases, caseous lymphadenitis, which is caused by the bacterial pathogen Corynebacterium (C.) pseudotuberculosis. Our study focuses on post-mortem examinations, the laboratory diagnostic tool ELISA, and the immunoblot technique for the detection of specific antibodies against C. pseudotuberculosis and detection of the causative pathogen in alpaca herds. We examined a total of 232 alpacas living in three herds. Four of these alpacas were submitted for post-mortem examination, revealing abscesses, apostematous and fibrinous inflammation in inner organs, pleura, and peritoneum. Serological investigation using a commercial ELISA based on phospholipase D (PLD) as antigen and an in-lab ELISA based on whole cell antigens (WCA) revealed an overall seroprevalence of 56% and 61.2%, respectively. A total of 247 alpaca sera originating from 232 animals were tested comparatively using the in-lab and the commercial ELISA and showed a substantial degree of agreement, of 89.5% (Cohen’s kappa coefficient of 0.784), for both tests. Further comparative serological studies using the two ELISAs and the immunoblot technique were carried out on selected sera originating from 12 breeding stallions and six breeding mares for which epidemiological data and partial C. pseudotuberculosis isolates were available. The results showed the immunoblot to have a sensitivity that was superior to both ELISAs. In this context, it should be emphasized that evaluation of these investigations and the epidemiological data suggest an incubation period of one to two months. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of 13 C. pseudotuberculosis isolates based on the determination of minimal inhibitory concentrations using the broth microdilution method revealed uniform susceptibility to aminopenicillins, cephalosporines, macrolides, enrofloxacin, florfenicol, tetracycline, sulfonamid/trimethoprime, tiamulin, gentamicin, neomycin, spectinomycin, and vancomycin, but resistance to colistin, nitrofurantoin, and oxacillin. Full article

Over recent years, a growing number of bacterial species have become resistant to clinically relevant antibiotics. Proline-rich antimicrobial peptides (PrAMPs) having a potent antimicrobial activity and a negligible toxicity toward mammalian cells attract attention as new templates for the development of antibiotic drugs. Here, we mined genomes of all living Camelidae species and found a novel family of Bac7-like proline-rich cathelicidins which inhibited bacterial protein synthesis. The N-terminal region of a novel peptide from the alpaca Vicugna pacos named VicBac is responsible for inhibition of bacterial protein synthesis with an IC₅₀ value of 0.5 µM in the E. coli cell-free system whereas the C-terminal region allows the peptide to penetrate bacterial membranes effectively. We also found that the full-length VicBac did not induce bacterial resistance after a two-week selection experiment, unlike the N-terminal truncated analog, which depended on the SbmA transport system. Both pro- and anti-inflammatory action of VicBac and its N-terminal truncated variant on various human cell types was found by multiplex immunoassay. The presence of the C-terminal tail in the natural VicBac does not provide for specific immune-modulatory effects in vitro but enhances the observed impact compared with the truncated analog. The pronounced antibacterial activity of VicBac, along with its moderate adverse effects on mammalian cells, make this molecule a promising scaffold for the development of peptide antibiotics. Full article