Scavenger birds exploiting rubbish dumps: Pathogens at the gates

PLAZA, PABLO I.; BLANCO, GUILLERMO; MADARIAGA, JULIA; BOERI, EDUARDO; TEIJEIRO, MARÍA LUISA; BIANCO, GRISELDA; LAMBERTUCCI, SERGIO

TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2018

1865-1674

Different bacteria are present in rubbish dumps used as food resources by various birdspecies. Birds may be good indicators of the presence of zoonotic diseases in thesesites since they can be infected with zoonotic pathogens by foraging on organic waste,and can also act as carriers. We studied if foraging in rubbish dumps increases theoccurrence of Salmonella spp. and Chlamydia psittaci in American black vultures (Coragypsatratus, hereafter black vultures) from northwest Patagonia. We compared thesepathogens isolated from or detected in cloacae and oropharynx swabs in two differentgroups of black vultures: individuals trapped in (a) the Patagonian wild steppe and (b)in a rubbish dump. We found that black vultures are colonized by Salmonella spp. (particularlySalmonella enterica serotypes Typhi, Paratyphi A, Salmonella entericasubsp. arizonae) and Chlamydia psittaci. Interestingly, there were differences in theprevalence of Salmonella spp., especially Salmonella Typhi, between individuals foragingin the rubbish dump and the steppe, but not in the prevalence of Chlamydia psittaci.The pathogens isolated from black vultures may impact their health status butcould also have health impacts in other bird species and even humans. In fact, SalmonellaTyphi can cause severe disease in humans leading to death. Our results areglobally relevant given that bacterial infections from rubbish dumps may affect differentspecies exploiting these sites around the world. There is a need to better controlpathogens in rubbish dumps to avoid the risk of infecting wildlife, which could act aspotential dispersers and reservoirs of these pathogens.