Enteric Bacteria and Some Pathogenic Properties of Enterococcus Faecalis, Enterococcus Faecium and Escherichia Coli Strains Isolated From Wild Ducks and Gulls

Abstract

This study was performed to isolate enteric bacteria from the feces of wild duck and gull species in the Van Lake Basin, and to determine different virulence and pathogenic factors of the Enterococcus species and Escherichia coli. In this research, carried out for the first time on wild ducks in Turkey, a total of 357 feces samples were examined from the following animals: 126 Shoveler (Anas clypeata), 92 Common Pochard (Aythya ferina), 80 Black Headed Gull (Larus ridibundus), and 59 Yellow-Legged Gull (Larus michahellis). Forty-eight (13.5%) bacteria were isolated and identified in the feces samples in the following distribution: 23 (6.4%) Enterococcus faecium, nine(2.5%) Escherichia coli, 7 (2%) Enterococcus faecalis, 6 (1.7%) Citrobacter braakii, 1 (0.3%) Enterobacter cloacae, 1 (0.3%) Streptococcus pyogenes and 1 (0.3%) Corynebacterium diphtheria. When the virulence factors of Enterococcus isolates were evaluated: 18 of 23 (78.3%) E. faecium strains were positive for gelatinase; four (17.4%) for cytolysin; two (8.7%) for aggregation substance (AS); four of seven (57.1%) E. faecalis isolates were positive for gelatinase; four (57.1%) for cytolysin; and one (14.3%) for AS. Three of the E. faecium strains were found to be positive in both gelatinase and cytolysin, one in gelatinase and AS, one of the E. faecalis isolates was positive in gelatinase, AS and cytolysin, and one was positive in gelatinase and cytolysin. Nine E. coli strains were examined for pathogenic properties such as the O157:H7 serotype, verotoxin 1 (VT1), verotoxin 2 (VT2), stabile toxin (ST) and labile toxin (LT). Two E. coli strains (22.2%) were positive for the 0157 serotype. Positive strains belonged to the Anas clypeata and Aythya ferina duck species. All E. coli isolates were found to be negative for H7 serotype, VT1, VT2, ST and LT.