Browsing by Author "Fahlman, A."

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Detection, identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility of Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. fromfree-ranging Nonhuman Primates in Sri Lanka
(Wildlife Disease Association, 2019) Tegner, C.; Sunil-Chandra, N.P.; Wijesooriya, W.R.P.L.I.; Perera, B.V.; Hansson, I.; Fahlman, A.
ABSTRACT: Infections with Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. are the most frequently reported causes of human bacterial enteritis. Warm-blooded animals, including livestock, pets, and wildlife, can be carriers of the bacteria and may contaminate the environment and food products. The present study investigated the occurrence of Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. in fecal pat samples from free-ranging toque macaques (Macaca sinica) and tufted gray langurs (Semnopithecus priam) collected in March-May 2015 in Sri Lanka. In 58 samples from toque macaques, Campylobacter jejuni was isolated in 10 (17%), Campylobacter coli in four (7%), and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Virchow in two (3%). None of the bacteria were isolated in the 40 samples from tufted gray langurs. Pulse-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing identified six profiles and four clonal complexes of C. jejuni. The isolated Campylobacter spp. showed varying susceptibility to antimicrobial substances. All Campylobacter spp. isolates were susceptible to chloramphenicol, erythromycin, florfenicol, gentamicin, and streptomycin. Four of the C. jejuni were resistant to at least one of the following: ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid, and tetracycline, and one of the isolates was multidrug resistant. All four C. coli were resistant to ampicillin, whereas the two Salmonella Virchow strains were susceptible to all antibiotics tested. The presence of Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. in toque macaques may have an impact on the conservation of endangered primates and public health in Sri Lanka. KEYWORDS: Campylobacter spp .; Antimicrobial resistance; PFGE; Salmonella spp; conservation; nonhuman primates.
Enteric pathogens of zoonotic concern in non-human primates in Sri Lanka
(European Wildlife Disease Association (EWDA, 2016) Tegner, C.; Sunil-Chandra, N.P.; Ingrid, H.; Perera, V.; Wijesooriya, W.R.P.L.I.; Fahlman, A.
Zoonotic disease is a two-way street where humans and other animals are interchanging pathogens. We investigated the occurrence of the potentially zoonotic Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp. and group A rotaviruses in faecal samples from free-ranging toque macaques and tufted gray langurs in Sri Lanka. Samples were opportunistically collected from primate troops with close human contact at five sites. Standardized culturing was used to detect the bacteria and an ELISA-based dipstick test was used for detection of group A rotaviruses antigens. Genotyping was performed using pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and the isolates' sensitivity to selected antibiotics was tested with VetMIC TM (National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden) panels Camp EU, CLIN GN and GN-mo (version 4). All 98 samples tested negative for rotavirus. The 40 samples from gray langurs were also all negative for Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. Of the 58 samples collected from toque macaques, C. jejuni was isolated from ten, C. coli from four and Salmonella enterica enterica subsp. Virchow from two of the samples. The fact that neither of the bacteria were isolated from tufted gray langur samples could reflect a true difference between the primate species. However, this should be interpreted in the light of a relatively small sample size. Resistance to ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid and tetracycline was identified in four C. jejuni isolates, of which three were multidrug resistant. In addition, all C. jejuni showed undetectable MIC-values to colistin, while all C. coli were sensitive to the substance. All C. coli were resistant to ampicillin. The S. Virchow isolates were sensitive to all antibiotics tested for. Six strains of C. jejuni were identified using PFGE and MLST clonal complexes were assigned to all isolates. Sequence types were assigned to seven out of ten C. jejuni. The detection of antibiotic resistant zoonotic bacteria in free-ranging toque macaques with close human contact may have implications for both non-human primate conservation and public health in Sri Lanka and beyond
Evidence of orthohantavirus and leptospira infections in small mammals in an endemic area of Gampaha district in Sri Lanka
(BioMed Central Ltd, 2022) Sunil-Chandra, N.P.; Fahlman, A.; Waidyarathna, S.; Näslund, J.; Jayasundara, M.V.M.L.; Wesula, L.O.; Bucht, G.
Background: Orthohantaviruses and leptospira are emerging zoonotic pathogens of high public health significance. The epidemiology of orthohantavirus infections and leptospirosis is similar and presents related clinical pictures in humans. However, a paucity of data on actual reservoir hosts for orthohantaviruses and leptospira exists. Therefore, this study aimed at determining the occurrence of orthohantaviruses and leptospira in small mammals captured in an endemic region of Sri Lanka. Methods: Rodents and shrews were morphologically and/or genetically identified using morphological keys and DNA barcoding techniques targeting the cytochrome oxidase b subunit gene (Cytb). Lung tissues and sera were subsequently analyzed for the presence of orthohantavirus RNA using qRT-PCR. Sera of rats were tested for IgG antibodies against orthohantaviruses and leptospira. Results: Forty-three (43) small mammals representing: Rattus (R.) rattus (black rat) or R. tanezumi (Asian rat), Suncus murinus (Asian house shrew), R. norvegicus (brown rat) and Mus musculus (house mouse) were investigated. No orthohantavirus RNA was detected from the lung tissue or serum samples of these animals. Elevated levels of IgG antibodies against Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV) and/or Seoul orthohantavirus (SEOV) antigens were detected in sera of 28 (72%) out of the 39 rats analysed. Interestingly, 36 (92%) of the 39 rats also showed presence of anti leptospira-IgG antibodies in their serum, representing dual infection or dual exposure in 26/39 (66.7%) of examined rats. Conclusions: This project targets important public health questions concerning the occupational risk of orthohantavirus infections and/or leptospirosis in an endemic region of Sri Lanka. Most rats (72%) in our study displayed antibodies reacting to orthohantavirus NP antigens, related to PUUV and/or SEOV. No correlation between the orthohantavirus and leptospira IgG antibody levels were noticed. Finally, a combination of both morphological and DNA barcoding approaches revealed that several species of rats may play a role in the maintenance and transmission of orthohantavirus and leptospira in Sri Lanka.