Detection of brucella suis, campylobacter jejuni, and Escherichia coli strains in feral pig (sus scrofa) communities of Georgia

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2018

Publication Title

Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases

Abstract

Feral pigs (Sus scrofa) are an environmentally destructive invasive species that act as a reservoir for zoonotic pathogens. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of Brucella suis, Campylobacter jejuni, and of Escherichia coli in feces of feral pigs from Georgia. Fecal samples were collected from 87 feral pigs from forested and agricultural regions of Georgia. DNA was extracted from the fecal samples and quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to screen for each of the four pathogens. The qPCR assays indicated that B. suis and eaeA-containing strains of E. coli was present in about 22% and 28% of the samples, respectively. C. jejuni was undetected in any of the feral pig fecal samples. The incidence of B. suis was higher in the pigs from forested region, whereas E. coli strains possessing eaeA gene incidence was higher in the pigs from agricultural regions. In Georgia, feral pigs harbor infectious agents and are a growing threat to the transmission of pathogens to native wildlife, humans, and food crops.

Department

Biological and Environmental Sciences

Volume Number

18

Issue Number

7

First Page

350

Last Page

355

DOI

10.1089/vbz.2017.2187

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS