Open AccessC ampylobacter jejuni colonization and population structure in urban populations of ducks and starlings in N ew Z ealand
Author(s) -
Mohan Vathsala,
Stevenson Mark,
Marshall Jonathan,
Fearnhead Paul,
Holland Barbara R.,
Hotter Grant,
French Nigel P.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
microbiologyopen
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.881
H-Index - 36
ISSN - 2045-8827
DOI - 10.1002/mbo3.102
Subject(s) - starling , sturnus , biology , population , host (biology) , genotype , zoology , genetic diversity , veterinary medicine , genetic structure , ecology , genetics , demography , medicine , sociology , gene
A repeated cross‐sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of C ampylobacter spp. and the population structure of C . jejuni in E uropean starlings and ducks cohabiting multiple public access sites in an urban area of N ew Z ealand. The country's geographical isolation and relatively recent history of introduction of wild bird species, including the E uropean starling and mallard duck, create an ideal setting to explore the impact of geographical separation on the population biology of C . jejuni, as well as potential public health implications. A total of 716 starling and 720 duck fecal samples were collected and screened for C . jejuni over a 12 month period. This study combined molecular genotyping, population genetics and epidemiological modeling and revealed: (i) higher C ampylobacter spp. isolation in starlings (46%) compared with ducks (30%), but similar isolation of C . jejuni in ducks (23%) and starlings (21%), (ii) significant associations between the isolation of C ampylobacter spp. and host species, sampling location and time of year using logistic regression, (iii) evidence of population differentiation, as indicated by F ST , and host‐genotype association with clonal complexes CC ST ‐177 and CC ST ‐682 associated with starlings, and clonal complexes CC ST ‐1034, CC ST ‐692, and CC ST ‐1332 associated with ducks, and (iv) greater genetic diversity and genotype richness in ducks compared with starlings. These findings provide evidence that host‐associated genotypes, such as the starling‐associated ST ‐177 and ST ‐682, represent lineages that were introduced with the host species in the 19th century. The isolation of sequence types associated with human disease in N ew Z ealand indicate that wild ducks and starlings need to be considered as a potential public health risk, particularly in urban areas.