Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-14T14:51:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 462086.pdf: 649282 bytes, checksum: e7c3e58982f8ce80fba84600f84c532c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-09-30 / Salmonella enterica is considered an important zoonotic pathogen that can be responsible by losses in animal production, especially in poultry husbandry. Different classes of antimicrobials have been used as a prophylactic and/or therapeutic in poultry production, highlighting the quinolones, which also are indicated for human use. The wide use of these antimicrobials may contribute to the selection of microorganisms resistant to these drugs. Resistance to quinolones has been assigned to mutations in genes encoding DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV, in addition to being associated with the presence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR), especially encoded by qnr and aac(6')-Ib-cr genes. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of efflux pump systems involved in the resistance to quinolones using the efflux pump inhibitor carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), and identify the presence of resistance determinants to quinolones in isolates of S. enterica from poultry-related material. For this, 36 S. enterica strains resistant to quinolones were used. The reduction of the activity of efflux pump systems was detected in 66.7% of isolates tested for nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin with addition of CCCP. Mutation in DNA gyrase was determined by sequencing and analysis of the gyrA gene, and qnr (A, B, D and S) and aac(6')-Ib-cr genes were detected by PCR. Analysis of the gyrA gene sequences in isolates phenotypically resistant to quinolones identify the presence of mutation leading to the alteration Ser83→Phe and Asp87→Gly, Asn or Tyr in 38,9% and 22,2%, respectively. Plasmid profile analysis showed nine profiles with plasmids that ranged from ~2 kb to ~50 kb, and PMQR genes were found in 22.2% of S. enterica isolates. qnrA and qnrB genes were detected in 11.1% and 5.5% of isolates, respectively, and qnrS was found in 2.7%. None qnrD gene was found in the isolates tested. aac(6')-Ib-cr gene was detected in 8.3% of the isolates. To our knowledge, this study reports for the first time mutations in gyrA in S. Worthington from poultry, as well as this is the first report of the presence of qnrA, qnrS and aac(6')-Ib-cr in S. enterica isolated from samples related to poultry production chain in Brazil. The presence of resistance determinants to quinolones in S. enterica isolates from poultry leads to concern regarding to potential resistance selection due to the use of these antimicrobials in animal production. / A Salmonella enterica ? considerada um importante pat?geno zoon?tico que pode ser respons?vel por perdas na produ??o animal, especialmente na cria??o de aves. Diferentes classes de antimicrobianos t?m sido utilizadas de forma profil?tica e/ou terap?utica na produ??o av?cola, entre elas destacam-se as quinolonas, que tamb?m t?m indica??o para uso humano. A ampla utiliza??o destes antimicrobianos pode contribuir para a sele??o de microrganismos resistentes a estes f?rmacos. A resist?ncia a quinolonas tem sido atribu?da a muta??es nos genes da DNA girase e da topoisomerase IV, al?m de estar associada ? presen?a de determinantes de resist?ncia carreados por plasm?deos (PMQR), especialmente aqueles codificados pelos genes qnr e aac(6 )-Ib-cr. Desta forma, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar a presen?a de sistemas de bombas de efluxo envolvidos na resist?ncia a quinolonas utilizando o inibidor Cianeto de Carbonila Clorofenilhidrazona (CCCP), bem como identificar determinantes de resist?ncia a quinolonas em isolados de S. enterica de origem av?cola. Para tanto, foram utilizados 36 isolados de S. enterica resistentes quinolonas. A redu??o na atividade dos sistemas de bombas de efluxo foi observada em 66,7% dos isolados testados para o ?cido nalid?xico e para a ciprofloxacina com adi??o do CCCP. Muta??es na DNA girase foram determinadas por sequenciamento e an?lise do gene gyrA, e os genes qnr (A, B, D e S) e aac(6 )-Ib-cr foram detectados atrav?s de PCR. A an?lise das sequ?ncias do gene gyrA nos isolados fenotipicamente resistentes a quinolonas identificou a presen?a de muta??o levando ? altera??o Ser83→Phe e Asp87→Gly, Asn ou Tyr em 38,9% e 22,2%, respectivamente. A an?lise do perfil plasmidial revelou nove perfis com plasm?deos que variaram de ~2 kb at? ~50 kb e os genes PMQR foram encontrados em 22,2% dos isolados de S. enterica. O gene qnrA e o qnrB foram detectados em 11,1% e 5,5% dos isolados, respectivamente, e o gene qnrS em 2,7%. O gene qnrD n?o foi encontrado em nenhum dos isolados testados. O gene aac(6 )-Ib-cr foi detectado em 8,3% dos isolados. At? onde se sabe, este trabalho relata pela primeira vez muta??es no gene gyrA em S. Worthington de origem avi?ria, bem como, este ? o primeiro relato da presen?a dos genes qnrA, qnrS e aac(6 )-Ib-cr em cepas de S. enterica isoladas de amostras relacionadas com a cadeia produtiva de frangos no Brasil. A presen?a de determinantes de resist?ncia a quinolonas em isolados de S. enterica de origem avi?ria alerta para a poss?vel sele??o de resist?ncia pelo uso destes antimicrobianos na produ??o animal.

This study describes the results of a cross-sectional survey conducted in Mambwe district in the Eastern Province in Zambia. It uses a One Health approach to assess the impact of veterinary, medical, environmental and social determinants on animal and human health and wellbeing. One Health is defined as a holistic and interdisciplinary approach that describes the complexities between people, animals, the environment and their health. Human wellbeing is defined in this thesis as 'a condition in which all members of society are able to determine and meet their needs and have a large range of choices to meet their potential' (Prescott-Allen, 2001). As a first step, eight focus group discussions with the inhabitants followed by key informant interviews with stakeholders in the area were conducted to give a primary impression and narrow down the problems in relation to animal and human health of the area in general. Following this, a randomized selection of 210 households was visited and in each household blood samples were taken from all humans and all animals belonging to five animal species, namely cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and dogs. A third of the households did not keep any of the animal species chosen for sampling, but their inclusion was important for the social analysis. In all of these 210 households a wellbeing questionnaire was administered and, for every human and animal sampled, a health questionnaire. The study area falls within the tsetse-infested region of Zambia. It has a high wildlife density reflecting the proximity of several national parks and is historically endemic for both human and animal African trypanosomiasis (HAT&AAT). Therefore humans and animals were tested for trypanosomiasis using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Since it is important as a differential diagnosis, malaria was tested for by a rapid diagnostic test in the field from human blood. Sera from mature individuals from all animal species except pigs were tested in a field laboratory for brucellosis using the Rose Bengal test. Additionally, cattle and dogs were tested for five genera of tick-borne infections (TBI) including Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Theileria, Babesia and Rickettsia using reverse line blot (RLB) in the laboratory at the University of Edinburgh (UoE). The blood samples for PCR and RLB analysis at UoE were stored on WhatmanTM FTA cards. A total of 1012 human samples were tested for HAT and none found positive. 1005 (seven people had been tested positive or treated against malaria shortly before the sampling) people tested for malaria showed an overall prevalence of 15% (95% CI 13.2-17.7). None of the 734 Rose Bengal tests showed up positive for brucellosis. The prevalence of AAT in 1275 samples tested was much lower compared to former samplings; in cattle 22% (95% CI 18-27.2), in goats 7% (95% CI 4.5-9.2), in pigs 6% (95% CI 3.2-9.4), in dogs 9% (95% CI 5.2-13.6) and no samples were found positive in sheep. The prevalence of TBIs is much more complex with many multiple infections. A total of 340 cattle and 195 dogs were tested. In cattle the number of samples positive for any microorganism was as follows; 92% (95% CI 88- 94.2). Overall there were fewer positive samples from dogs with 25% of animals infected (95% CI 19.2-31.8). The wellbeing and health questionnaires were designed to help to identify possible risk factors for the above-mentioned diseases and signs, such as fever, diarrhoea and seizures, indicative for several other diseases. The results of these surveys might also help to identify potential reasons for a lower or higher prevalence of trypanosomiasis and malaria found than expected from previous studies. Additionally, information on personal happiness, attitudes towards veterinary and medical services, medical treatments received, education, women's reproductive history, drug abuse, people's perceptions of changes in environment and agriculture, demography, poverty and migration were collected via the questionnaires alongside information on livestock demographics and fertility. One of the main conclusions is that both medical and veterinary health care systems suffer from a number of shortcomings. The distance to appropriate treatment and care facilities is far and the necessary drugs are often unavailable. Also, both the knowledge and technology for diagnosing selected diseases is not in place. This study suggests that neurocysticercosis (NCC) plays an important role in this area due to the high number of seizures reported in people, in whom treatment for epilepsy was unsuccessful. Samples taken from a few pigs indicated the presence of Taenia solium, the causal agent of NCC. Furthermore, many of the TBIs are of zoonotic nature and further investigations must be made to begin to assess the burden of these diseases in humans and animals. Environmental changes such as degradation of the vegetation are likely to have an influence on the prevalence of studied diseases and this aspect is being investigated further in other studies. Due to the nature of a cross-sectional study, only limited conclusions can be drawn on the causal relationships of disease prevalence, but the social analysis conducted in this study confirmed the interactions of selected factors related to health and wealth unique for this study area.

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No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Tese_VariabilidadeMorfometricaMolecular.pdf: 4841557 bytes, checksum: f98bac4b966e74cac366c8276fdf7ac3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / CNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / O presente estudo objetivou testar a hipótese da heterogeneidade populacional morfológica e molecular em diversos grupos de Desmodus rotundus na Amazônia oriental, bem como descrever a relação desta heterogeneidade com processos e padrões de produção da Raiva em humanos e bovinos. Para tanto, um total de 776 exemplares de vampiro comum, de 72 localidades do Pará foram cedidos pelo Instituto Evandro Chagas (IEC - Ministério da Saúde/Belém), Laboratório Nacional Agropecuário (Lanagro/Belém) e Fundação de Vigilância em Saúde do estado do Amazonas (FVG/Manaus). Quanto a descrição espacial e temporal da Raiva em humanos e bovinos no Pará, ao longo de uma década (1999-2008), tais registros foram obtidos junto a Secretaria Executiva de Saúde Pública do Pará (SESPA). Do total de espécimes de D. rotundus, apenas os indivíduos adultos (329 machos e 315 fêmeas) foram submetidos a 39 medidas fenotípicas (16 externas e 23 cranianas). Na abordagem genética, 236 indivíduos (53% fêmeas e 47% machos) foram caracterizados por meio de 10 marcadores do tipo microssatélites. Já para a descrição de áreas de risco foram utilizadas feições ecológicas, biológicas, socioeconômicas e de cobertura e uso do solo, georreferenciadas geograficamente. Como um dos principais resultados das inferências fenotípicas foi observado que apenas as fêmeas de D. rotundus no Pará, mostraram tendências a formação de grupos que reúnem espécimes da porção mais ao norte do estado (Baixo Amazonas, Marajó e Nordeste), como sendo menos similares as do sudeste e sudoeste. No geral, fenotipicamente D. rotundus não mostrou elevada estruturação entre os grupos no Pará. A maior ocorrência de variabilidade observada para D. rotundus não foi entre os grupos geográficos. Segundo os dados de análise molecular de variância (AMOVA) ocorreram variações em 96% dos acontecimentos dentro de cada grupo. No geral, muitos grupos estudados do Pará ainda encontram-se sobre equilíbrio de Hardy-Weinberg, levando a crer na existência de uma única população caracteristicamente panmítica, contudo, com tendências à formação de três grandes grupos (Baixo Amazonas, Marajó e Nordeste). Para tal população, os padrões reprodutivos e adaptativos da espécie, garantiriam a alta equidade da riqueza alélica e os bons índices de diversidade genética de D. rotundus na Amazônia oriental, mesmo sob os efeitos da fragmentação de áreas, que se processa principalmente no lado leste no estado do Pará. / At the present study the hypothesis of population morphological and molecular heterogeneity was tested in several groups of the common vampire bat Desmodus rotundus from oriental Amazonia as well the relationship among the environmental heterogeneity and the process and patterns of rabies outbreaks in human and bovine population was described. For this 776 individuals of common vampire bats from 72 different places of state of Pará were disposed by Instituto Evandro Chagas (IEC - Ministério da Saúde/Belém), Laboratório Nacional Agropecuário (Lanagro/Belém) and Fundação de Vigilância em Saúde do Amazonas (FVG/Manaus). Data from 1999 to 2008 of rabies upon humans and bovines in Pará were disposed by the Secretaria Executiva de Saúde Pública do Pará (SESPA). For morphometric analysis, 39 phenotypic measures (16 bodies and 23 cranials) all adult individuals (329 males and 315 females) were obtained. For genetic analysis, 258 bats (47% males and 53% females) were characterized by 10 microsatelite markers. To describe the areas of rabies risk we used the ecological, biological and socioeconomic shapes of environment as well the soil using, all these geographically georeferenced. One of our results of phenotypic inferences suggest that vampires from Pará showed the tendency to group formation with individuals of the north region of state (Amazonas basin, Marajóand Northeastern regions), only as well they were less similar to bats from southern and southwestern regions. In general, D. rotundus did not show high phenotypically structure among the groups in Pará. The highest variability occurrence in D. rotundus, was not observed among geographic groups. According to molecular analysis of variance (AMOVA), 96% of them were found within each studied group. Our data showed that several of the groups studied in Pará are still under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, suggesting the existence of one single panmitic population of the common vampire bat in this North state, but with tendencies to the formation of three great groups (Amazon basin, Marajóand Northeast). To this panmitic population, the reproduction and adaptation patterns garanteed the high equity of allelic richness and good rates of genetic diversity in D. rotundus from oriental Amazon, even under the fragmentation effects in many areas of Pará state, mainly in the east side.

La maîtrise des agents de zoonoses alimentaires passe par la mise en œuvre de l'inspection sanitaire en abattoir par les pouvoirs publics. L'avènement du concept d'évaluation scientifique des risques conduit à interroger la pertinence des mesures de maîtrise engagées. La viande de porc étant la première viande consommée en France, la filière porcine constitue un objet d'étude intéressant. Nous avons développé une méthodologie de hiérarchisation des dangers, basée sur le calcul de notes de risque, qui a permis d'identifier les dangers responsables des cas de zoonoses alimentaires les plus fréquent et les plus graves. Ces dangers sont caractérisés par leur faible détectabilité lors d'un examen macroscopique des carcasses de porc à l'abattoir. L'étude de la bibliographie et une étude terrain menée au sein d'un échantillon d'élevages porcins nous ont permis de caractériser le statut de contamination des porcs au niveau de la production primaire et d'identifier des facteurs de risque de présence des dangers. Le suivi longitudinal de lots de porcs de l'élevage à l'abattoir nous a permis de mettre en évidence de fortes disparités de statuts de contamination des carcasses en fonction des outils d'abattage, ainsi que de quantifier le transfert des contaminations de l'animal à la carcasse. La très faible valeur prédictive d'indicateurs post mortem quant au statut de contamination des carcasses a été confirmée. L'ensemble de ces données a permis de modéliser la transmission des dangers de l'élevage à la carcasse et de proposer un schéma de maîtrise fondé sur l'établissement et la combinaison des profils de risque des élevages et des abattoirs.

Coagulase positive staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, are important causes of infection in human beings and dogs respectively. The rapid increase in the incidence of methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in people and its emergence in dogs has raised the profile of this organism in the veterinary community. Similarly, human S. pseudintermedius infections have also been recognized as the awareness of bidirectional human-dog transmission increases. Antimicrobial resistance has been complicating the treatment of S. aureus infections since the first penicillin resistance was observed in the 1940s. Methicillin resistance (resistance to the majority of â-lactams), is particularly troublesome as the â-lactams are a safe and effective class of antimicrobials for treating susceptible staphylococcal infections in both human beings and dogs. Additionally, resistance to other antimicrobial classes such as the macrolides, tetracyclines, sulfonamides and chloramphenicol, further complicates the treatment of staphylococcal infections. Particularly in small animal private practice, infections are often treated empirically, requiring knowledge of locally prevalent susceptibility patterns. The emergence of resistance to commonly used drugs necessitates surveillance to monitor the dissemination of resistance, and to guide antimicrobial therapy. In the last decade there have been many studies attempting to address gaps in our knowledge of the ecology of S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius in dogs. In particular, the prevalence of colonization with methicillin resistant staphylococci has been documented in different dog populations. However, failing to sample all relevant sites of colonization, may have decreased the sensitivity of these studies. The sites where coagulase positive staphylococci colonize dogs have not been systematically evaluated. The clinical and infection control implications of S. aureus infections, or colonization in the case of MRSA, requires timely laboratory identification. The tube coagulase test is arguably the most important tool used for identifying of staphylococcal species. Studies dating from the 1970s and 1980s suggested that the use of rabbit plasma, which is the current standard, may not be the ideal media for all situations and that different plasmas may need to be considered in different diagnostic situations. In this thesis, the ecology of coagulase positive staphylococci in dogs was studied from start to finish including sample collection, bacterial identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing and molecular epidemiological investigations. This thesis will serve as a template to be used for follow up studies or by investigators setting up a surveillance program in their region. We found that multiple sites of colonization (nares, pharynx and rectum), are involved in both S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius carriage in dogs. Single site colonized dogs were identified, suggesting that maximal screening sensitivity requires sampling multiple body sites. When canine and rabbit plasma were compared, the time until clot formation was found to be significantly shorter with canine plasma. Although, the availability of canine plasma may limit its use in the diagnostic laboratory, investigators should be aware that rabbit plasma may not be ideal for all applications of the tube coagulase test. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of canine S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius and human S. aureus isolates was done. Consistent with previous reports from Saskatoon, the S. pseudintermedius isolates were found to be overwhelmingly susceptible: pan-susceptibility was the most common phenotype identified. Antimicrobial resistance was more common among S. aureus than S. pseudintermedius including resistance to drugs which all S. pseudintermedius were susceptible to. No resistance to vancomycin, linezolid, daptomycin or quinupristin/dalfopristin was found. All isolates remained susceptible to at least one of tetracycline, clindamycin, chloramphenicol or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole which are often used for treating infections caused by multidrug resistant staphylococci. Finally, DNA fingerprinting revealed that the canine and human S. aureus isolates tested did not belong to mutually exclusive populations. Using AFLP, IS-typing and spa typing, many human and canine isolates were indistinguishable suggesting a common population, supporting the hypothesis that interspecies transmission occurs. The complex and under-characterized ecology of S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius requires more study so that risk factors for infection can be defined and effective infection control measures implemented. Because multiple species are involved, collaboration between veterinarians and human health professionals is imperative, and will no doubt yield the most success in our efforts to understand these potential pathogens.

Coagulase positive staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, are important causes of infection in human beings and dogs respectively. The rapid increase in the incidence of methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in people and its emergence in dogs has raised the profile of this organism in the veterinary community. Similarly, human S. pseudintermedius infections have also been recognized as the awareness of bidirectional human-dog transmission increases. Antimicrobial resistance has been complicating the treatment of S. aureus infections since the first penicillin resistance was observed in the 1940s. Methicillin resistance (resistance to the majority of â-lactams), is particularly troublesome as the â-lactams are a safe and effective class of antimicrobials for treating susceptible staphylococcal infections in both human beings and dogs. Additionally, resistance to other antimicrobial classes such as the macrolides, tetracyclines, sulfonamides and chloramphenicol, further complicates the treatment of staphylococcal infections. Particularly in small animal private practice, infections are often treated empirically, requiring knowledge of locally prevalent susceptibility patterns. The emergence of resistance to commonly used drugs necessitates surveillance to monitor the dissemination of resistance, and to guide antimicrobial therapy. In the last decade there have been many studies attempting to address gaps in our knowledge of the ecology of S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius in dogs. In particular, the prevalence of colonization with methicillin resistant staphylococci has been documented in different dog populations. However, failing to sample all relevant sites of colonization, may have decreased the sensitivity of these studies. The sites where coagulase positive staphylococci colonize dogs have not been systematically evaluated. The clinical and infection control implications of S. aureus infections, or colonization in the case of MRSA, requires timely laboratory identification. The tube coagulase test is arguably the most important tool used for identifying of staphylococcal species. Studies dating from the 1970s and 1980s suggested that the use of rabbit plasma, which is the current standard, may not be the ideal media for all situations and that different plasmas may need to be considered in different diagnostic situations. In this thesis, the ecology of coagulase positive staphylococci in dogs was studied from start to finish including sample collection, bacterial identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing and molecular epidemiological investigations. This thesis will serve as a template to be used for follow up studies or by investigators setting up a surveillance program in their region. We found that multiple sites of colonization (nares, pharynx and rectum), are involved in both S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius carriage in dogs. Single site colonized dogs were identified, suggesting that maximal screening sensitivity requires sampling multiple body sites. When canine and rabbit plasma were compared, the time until clot formation was found to be significantly shorter with canine plasma. Although, the availability of canine plasma may limit its use in the diagnostic laboratory, investigators should be aware that rabbit plasma may not be ideal for all applications of the tube coagulase test. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of canine S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius and human S. aureus isolates was done. Consistent with previous reports from Saskatoon, the S. pseudintermedius isolates were found to be overwhelmingly susceptible: pan-susceptibility was the most common phenotype identified. Antimicrobial resistance was more common among S. aureus than S. pseudintermedius including resistance to drugs which all S. pseudintermedius were susceptible to. No resistance to vancomycin, linezolid, daptomycin or quinupristin/dalfopristin was found. All isolates remained susceptible to at least one of tetracycline, clindamycin, chloramphenicol or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole which are often used for treating infections caused by multidrug resistant staphylococci. Finally, DNA fingerprinting revealed that the canine and human S. aureus isolates tested did not belong to mutually exclusive populations. Using AFLP, IS-typing and spa typing, many human and canine isolates were indistinguishable suggesting a common population, supporting the hypothesis that interspecies transmission occurs. The complex and under-characterized ecology of S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius requires more study so that risk factors for infection can be defined and effective infection control measures implemented. Because multiple species are involved, collaboration between veterinarians and human health professionals is imperative, and will no doubt yield the most success in our efforts to understand these potential pathogens.

A cross-sectional study investigated the shedding of zoonotic organisms (Campylobacter, Giardia, and Salmonella) and antimicrobial resistant generic E. coli in dogs that visited dog parks in southern Ontario. Logistic regression models were constructed to identify risk factors. Factors for the shedding of Campylobacter spp. included consumption of a commercial dry diet, exposure to compost, and age. Factors for the shedding of C. upsaliensis included outdoor water access and age. A risk factor for ampicillin resistance was attending a dog day care. For resistance to at least one antimicrobial, factors included attending a dog day care, breed size, consumption of a commercial dry diet and consumption of a homemade cooked diet. For multiclass resistance, exposure to compost, breed size, and consumption of a commercial dry diet were identified. Park was not significant in any model. Dogs that visit dog parks shed organisms that may pose a human health risk. / Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Population and Public Health/ Public Health Agency of Canada Applied Public Health Research Chair awarded to J. M. Sargeant; Public Health Agency of Canada; Ontario Veterinary College Pet Trust Fund; and a grant to D. L. Pearl from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Research Fund.

The mental and physical benefits of pet ownership are well established; however, pets can also transmit pathogens to people, with children, elderly, pregnant and immunocompromised individuals at greatest risk of disease. Little is known about the public’s knowledge and practices related to pet-associated disease. Questionnaires were distributed at two general practice physician clinics and to parents/guardians of children diagnosed with diabetes or cancer at specialty practice clinics. Pet ownership and contact were common, with 64-66% of participants having a pet in their household. Acquisition of a new pet, including high-risk pets, was common (20%) following a diagnosis of cancer in children. Pet exposure outside the home was frequently reported for individuals in pet and non-pet owning households (25-52%). Education of respondents about diseases was poor, as only approximately one-third recalled receiving pet-associated disease information. Parents of cancer patients were more likely than parents of diabetes patients to recall receiving this information, yet proportions were low in both groups (32% and 13%, respectively). Respondents’ knowledge of pet-associated pathogens was similar between the groups, with pet owners and parents of diabetic children having higher knowledge. Pet (30-36%) and non-pet (~10%) owning households reported dog/cat bites or scratches during the preceding year. Within the general practice respondents, lower-risk households did not differ from higher-risk households regarding perceived disease risk of pets, zoonotic disease knowledge, recall of being asked by their medical provider if they owned pets, or recall of having received information regarding pet-associated disease risks and preventive measures. Pet ownership, husbandry and infection control practices were similar between low- and high-risk households. Husbandry practices that increase zoonotic disease risk were frequently identified, including feeding high-risk diets, allowing children to clean up fecal material and allowing reptiles to roam through the kitchen. With few exceptions, practices were not associated with the presence of higher-risk members in the household or recall of having previously received zoonotic disease education. There is a need for improved education on zoonotic disease prevention practices for pet- and non pet-owning households, particularly those with individuals at higher risk of infection and those with high-risk species.

No description available.

Ingestion of contaminated chicken meat is a major cause of Campylobacteriosis in Europe and the USA. The environment, including wild birds, is considered to be an important reservoir for chicken colonization. The aims of this study were to determine the population structure of Campylobacter amongst chicken and wild bird sources on a single farm, and to establish the extent to which genotypes flow between them and ultimately infect humans, using MLST and antigen sequence typing. A pilot study amongst farm animals and wild birds in Lancashire demonstrated that Campylobacter genotypes from human disease were common on the farm and could be isolated from more than one animal source. Between 30-50% of wild geese and Starlings were shedding Campylobacter, with a seasonal peak in shedding rate in Spring. Genotypes were divergent from those previously isolated from human disease, retail meat and farm animal sources, with the majority being restricted to the host source. The carriage rate of Campylobacter was between 70- 100% amongst 78 free-range poultry flocks tested at 56 days of age. Up to seven genotypes were found to co-exist within a flock, and genotypes varied throughout the year on a random basis. Some Campylobacter strains were isolated from one farm site only, but a small percentage of them had spread nationally and were stable over a period of a decade. A total of 23% of Campylobacter isolates from free-range chickens were indistinguishable to those from human disease, and 5% were indistinguishable from wild birds. A total of 6% of genotypes isolated from wild birds were indistinguishable from those isolated from human disease. Wild birds could not be completely disregarded as a potential reservoir of Campylobacter for both humans and poultry, but their role is likely to be limited.