Characterization of bacterial and fungal intestinal microbiota of confiscated wild passerines which will be submitted to relocation programs

• Grant number: 11/51178-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: October 01, 2011
• End date: September 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Priscilla Anne Melville
• Grantee: Priscilla Anne Melville
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Currently, many native bird species are considered rare in Brazil, once they are indiscriminately captured by animal traffickers and then are sold, which makes them increasingly found in smaller quantities in their natural habitats. Confiscated animals have been submitted to relocation programs (introduction, reintroduction, reinforcement and translocation), attempting to ensure that they do not pose a risk to the native population. Wild passerines, healthy or sick, may carry a wide variety of microorganisms and therefore, knowledge on health status of confiscated animals which will be relocated, allows an assessment as to whether these animals act as carriers of pathogens to native populations as well as clarifies the epidemiology of diseases, which is fundamental to the preservation of animal and human health. This study aims to assess the occurrence and frequency of aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria and fungi in the feces of wild confiscated passerines which will be submitted to relocation programs. "In vitro" susceptibility testing of the most frequently isolated strains will be performed and the possibility that these animals act as carriers of pathogenic microorganisms to humans and other animals will be evaluated, considering that contact within and between species may play a role in transmission of diseases, particularly regarding Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp., which will be characterized in the molecular level by means of research on virulence factors of the isolated strains. Positive samples will be submitted to DNA sequencing in order to determine the similarity of nucleotides sequences with samples previously described in literature, and this analysis may contribute to the understanding of the epidemiology of these diseases as well as may help to implement more effective management actions and to improve surveillance of these animals. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

BRACONARO, PATRICIA; SAIDENBERG, ANDRE B. S.; BENITES, NILSON R.; ZUNIGA, EVELINE; DA SILVA, ADRIANA M. J.; SANCHES, THAIS C.; ZWARG, TICIANA; BRANDAO, PAULO E.; MELVILLE, PRISCILLA A.. Detection of bacteria and fungi and assessment of the molecular aspects and resistance of Escherichia coli isolated from confiscated passerines intended for reintroduction programs. Microbial Pathogenesis, v. 88, p. 65-72, NOV 2015. (11/51178-9)