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ISDS 2012 Conference Abstracts

The Natural Reservoirs of Salmonella Enteritidis in
Populations of Wild Birds
Olga Obukhovska*

IECVM, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Objective
The aim of our study was to identify possible natural reservoirs of

Salmonella Enteritidis among wild birds.

Introduction
Salmonella Enteritidis is dangerous for human due the reason of

toxicoinfaction. These pathogen demonstrate high virulence for small
children and people with chronic pathologies and can causes people
die. The main source of infection to humans is birds (poultry and
wild).

Wild birds represent the natural reservoir of same bacterial
pathogens. It is known that Salmonella can occupy an intestinal tract
of birds. This colonization in general is constant, sometimes proceeds
with an alternating fever, and usually, without clinical signs. Infected
birds can transmit pathogens to other isolates in close contact. This
usually occurs on the nesting during seasonal migrations. In the
southern region of Ukraine are several points of intersection of mi-
gration routes of wild birds on the way from Europe to Africa and
Asia (National Park “Askania Nova”and others).

Methods
The study was conducted in populations of wild birds in National

Park “Askania Nova” and peninsula “Arabat arrow” (the Azov Sea
coast). From bird selected samples of blood serum and egg yolks for
research in serum plate agglutination test (SPA) and litter samples for
bacteriological research.

Results
The serological monitoring in populations of wild waterfowl in

National Park “Askania Nova” (Ichthyaetus relictus, Sterna nilotica,
Sterna herundo, Casarca ferruginea) has shown the presence of
seropozitive individuals in adult birds (average 18%) and egg yolks
(avarrage 12%). The bacteriological investigations confirmed circu-
lation of Salmonella in this group of birds. 32.3% of all bacterial
pathogens was Salmonella and more then half of them was the
reprezentatives of serovar Salmonella Enteritidis.

Similar studies were conducted on territory of peninsula “Arabat
arrow” (the Azov Sea coast). The serological monitoring among of
wild waterfowl (Ardea cinerea, Sterna caspia, Phalacrocorax carbo,
Podiceps cristatus, Anas platyrhynchos, Cygnus olar) revealed the
presence of antibodies in blood serum (avarrage 17%) and egg yolks
(avarrage 10%). From litter samples was isolated a great deal of En-
terobacteria (Escherichia coli. Salmonella, Citrobacter, Enterobac-
ter), havever 34.8% of them were Salmonella and near half of
Salmonella (53.2%) was reprezentatives of serovar Salmonella En-
teritidis.

Conclusions
It is proved that M. gallisepticum can persist among decorative

waterfowl for her welfare with Galliformes, while waterfowl is a
reservoir of the pathogen. Also natural reservoirs of Mycoplasma can
be wild waterfowl (Casarca ferruginea). Such groups (populations) of
birds may serve as a source of infection for commercial herds.

This shows that wild waterfowl are the natural reservoir for these
dangerous pathogens like Salmonella Enteritidis. The carriers may
account for 17-18% of all individuals in the population. In nesting
different species of wild birds may be infected by Salmonella Enter-
itidis. In the process of migrating wild birds can carry Salmonella
Enteritidis over long distances and is a threat to commercial poultry
flocks and humans.

Keywords
Salmonella Enteritidis; natural reservoir; wild birds

Acknowledgments

B. Stegniy, D. Muzika, K. Glebova;
Dept. of Bacterial infection, National Science Center “Institute of exper-
imental and clinical veterinary Medicine”, Kharkiv, Ukraine

References

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Food Research International Vol45, Iss2 2012 P1000-1003

*Olga Obukhovska
E-mail: olgaobuhovskaya@rambler.ru

Online Journal of Public Health Informatics * ISSN 1947-2579 * http://ojphi.org * 5(1):e171, 2013