Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in Wild European Starlings at a Kansas Cattle Feedlot

Abstract

<p>The prevalence of <em>Escherichia coli</em>, <em>Salmonella</em> spp., and <em>Mycobacterium avium</em> subsp.<em>paratuberculosis</em> isolated from the feces of wild European starlings (<em>Sturnus vulgaris</em>) humanely trapped at a feedlot in central Kansas was assessed. All <em>E. coli</em> and <em>Salmonella</em>isolates recovered were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System panels and the <em>E. coli</em> isolates were classified as to their content of genes associated with pathogenic <em>E. coli</em> of birds and cattle, including <em>cvaC, iroN2, ompTp, hlyF2, eitC, iss, iutA, ireA, papC</em>, <em>stxI</em>, <em>stxII</em>, <em>sta</em>, <em>K99</em>, <em>F41</em>, and <em>eae</em>.<em>Escherichia coli</em> O157:H7 and <em>Mycobacterium avium</em> subsp. <em>paratuberculosis</em> were not detected and <em>Salmonella</em> was isolated from only three samples, two of which displayed antimicrobial resistance. Approximately half of the <em>E. coli</em> isolates were resistant to antimicrobial agents with 96% showing resistance to tetracycline. Only one isolate was positive for a single gene associated with bovine pathogenic <em>E. coli</em>. An interesting finding of this study was that 5% of the <em>E. coli</em> isolates tested met the criteria established for identification as avian pathogenic <em>E. coli</em> (APEC). Thus these findings suggest that starlings are not a significant source of <em>Salmonella</em> spp., <em>Mycobacterium avium</em> subsp.<em>paratuberculosis, E. coli</em> O157, or other shiga toxin–producing <em>E. coli</em> in this feedlot. However, they may have the potential to spread APEC, an important pathogen of poultry and a potential pathogen to human beings.</p>