Epidemiological survey of zoonotic pathogens in feral pigeons (<em>Columba livia</em> var. <em>domestica</em>) and sympatric zoo species in Southern Spain

International audienceA cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence of pathogenic zoonotic agents (flaviviruses, avian influenza viruses (AIVs), Salmonella spp. and Toxoplasma gondii) in feral pigeons and sympatric zoo animals from Cordoba (Southern Spain) between 2013 and 2014. Antibodies against flaviviruses were detected in 7.8% out of 142 (CI95%: 3.7-11.8) pigeons, and 8.2% of 49 (CI95%: 0.9-15.4) of zoo animals tested. Antibodies with specificity against West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) were confirmed both in pigeons and in zoo birds. Even though seropositivity to AIVs was not detected in any of the analyzed pigeons, 17.9% of 28 (CI95%: 3.7-32.0) zoo birds tested showed positive results. Salmonella spp. was not isolated in any of 152 fecal samples collected from pigeons, while 6.8% of 44 zoo animals were positive. Antibodies against T. gondii were found in 9.2% of 142 (CI95%: 4.8-13.6) feral pigeons and 26.9% of 108 (CI95%: 19.6-34.1) zoo animals. This is the first study on flaviviruses and T. gondii in feral pigeons and captive zoo species in Spain. Antibodies against WNV and USUV detected in non-migratory pigeons and captive zoo animals indicate local circulation of these emerging pathogens in the study area. T. gondii was widespread in species analyzed. This finding could be of importance for Public Health and Conservation of endangered species present in zoo parks. Pigeons and zoo animals may be included as sentinel species for monitoring zoonotic pathogens in urban areas

Contamination of pig carcass with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium monophasic variant 1,4 [5], 12: i:- originates mainly in live animals

[EN] Pork is considered a major source of Salmonella Typhimurium infection in humans in the EU, including monophasic strains (mST). Widespread distribution of virulent serotypes such as monophasic variants of S. Typhimurium have emerged as a public health threat. Despite the current situation, within the EU there is no mandatory programme for the control of Salmonella at pork production level. In this con- text, the aims of this study were: to examine the presence of Salmonella in the swine production system from arrival at the slaughterhouse until the end of processing, and investigate the genetic relationship among serovars. A total of 21 pig herds were intensively sampled during processing at the slaughter- house. ERIC-PCR followed by PFGE were performed among isolates recovered at the different steps in the slaughterhouse to assess their genetic relationship. The results showed a high level of Salmonella pork batch contamination upon arrival at the slaughterhouse (71.4%) and at the end of the slaughtering pro- cess (66.7%), with mST the main serovar isolated from both origins (53.1% and 38.2%, respectively). Similarly, this study shows that 14.3% of the strains isolated from carcasses have the same Xbal-PFGE pro- file as those previously recovered in the slaughterhouse environment, but not in the live animals from that same batch. In conclusion, there is a high level of Salmonella swine batch contamination upon arrival at the slaughterhouse and at the end of the slaughtering process, mST being the most frequently isolated serovar. Moreover, a strong genetic relationship has been observed between strains isolated from the batch on arrival at the slaughterhouse, the processing environment and pork carcass contamination. In this sense, it would be necessary to implement a control programme to reduce the bacterium from pork farms and raise the awareness of biosecurity measures.We wish to thank the slaughterhouse staff for their collaboration in the study and their technical support. In addition, we want to thank University CEU-UCH for the financial support (Consolidacion de Indicadores INDI 18/19 and IDOC 18/12). CERCA Programme from the Generalitat de Catalunya is also acknowledged. The English text version was revised by N. Macowan English Language Service.Marin, C.; Chinillac, MC.; Cerda-Cuellar, M.; Montoro-Dasí, L.; Sevilla-Navarro, S.; Marco-Jiménez, F.; Ayats, T.... (2020). Contamination of pig carcass with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium monophasic variant 1,4 [5], 12: i:- originates mainly in live animals. Science of The Total Environment. 703:1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134609S17703Amass, S.F, 2005a. Biosecurity: stopping the bugs from getting in. Pig J. 55, 104–114. 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