Phenotypic and Genotypic Properties of <i>Vibrio cholerae</i> non-O1, non-O139 Isolates Recovered from Domestic Ducks in Germany

<i>Vibrio cholerae</i> non-O1, non-O139 bacteria are natural inhabitants of aquatic ecosystems and have been sporadically associated with human infections. They mostly lack the two major virulence factors of toxigenic <i>V. cholerae</i> serogroups O1 and O139 strains, which a...

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Main Authors: Nicola Hirsch, Eva Kappe, Armin Gangl, Keike Schwartz, Anne Mayer-Scholl, Jens Andre Hammerl, Eckhard Strauch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-07-01
Series:Microorganisms
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/8/1104
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author Nicola Hirsch
Eva Kappe
Armin Gangl
Keike Schwartz
Anne Mayer-Scholl
Jens Andre Hammerl
Eckhard Strauch
author_facet Nicola Hirsch
Eva Kappe
Armin Gangl
Keike Schwartz
Anne Mayer-Scholl
Jens Andre Hammerl
Eckhard Strauch
author_sort Nicola Hirsch
collection DOAJ
description <i>Vibrio cholerae</i> non-O1, non-O139 bacteria are natural inhabitants of aquatic ecosystems and have been sporadically associated with human infections. They mostly lack the two major virulence factors of toxigenic <i>V. cholerae</i> serogroups O1 and O139 strains, which are the causative agent of cholera. Non-O1, non-O139 strains are found in water bodies, sediments, and in association with other aquatic organisms. Occurrence of these bacteria in fecal specimens of waterfowl were reported, and migratory birds likely contribute to the long-distance transfer of strains. We investigated four <i>V. cholerae</i> non-O1, non-O139 isolates for phenotypic traits and by whole genome sequencing (WGS). The isolates were recovered from organs of domestic ducks with serious disease symptoms. WGS data revealed only a distant genetic relationship between all isolates. The isolates harbored a number of virulence factors found in most <i>V. cholerae</i> strains. Specific virulence factors of non-O1, non-O139 strains, such as the type III secretion system (TTSS) or cholix toxin, were observed. An interesting observation is that all isolates possess multifunctional autoprocessing repeats-in-toxin toxins (MARTX) closely related to the MARTX of toxigenic El Tor O1 strains. Different primary sequences of the abundant OmpU proteins could indicate a significant role of this virulence factor. Phenotypic characteristics such as hemolysis and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) were studied. Three isolates showed susceptibility to a number of tested antimicrobials, and one strain possessed AMR genes located in an integron. Knowledge of the environmental occurrence of <i>V. cholerae</i> non-O1, non-O139 in Germany is limited. The source of the infection of the ducks is currently unknown. In the context of the ‘One Health’ concept, it is desirable to study the ecology of <i>V. cholerae</i> non-O1, non-O139, as it cannot be excluded that the isolates possess zoonotic potential and could cause infections in humans.
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spelling doaj.art-a2c36ef99e844bc794715785d78813a42023-11-20T07:42:55ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072020-07-0188110410.3390/microorganisms8081104Phenotypic and Genotypic Properties of <i>Vibrio cholerae</i> non-O1, non-O139 Isolates Recovered from Domestic Ducks in GermanyNicola Hirsch0Eva Kappe1Armin Gangl2Keike Schwartz3Anne Mayer-Scholl4Jens Andre Hammerl5Eckhard Strauch6Tiergesundheitsdienst Bayern, Bavarian Animal Health Service, 85586 Poing, GermanyTiergesundheitsdienst Bayern, Bavarian Animal Health Service, 85586 Poing, GermanyTiergesundheitsdienst Bayern, Bavarian Animal Health Service, 85586 Poing, GermanyDepartment of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, D-10589 Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, D-10589 Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, D-10589 Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, D-10589 Berlin, Germany<i>Vibrio cholerae</i> non-O1, non-O139 bacteria are natural inhabitants of aquatic ecosystems and have been sporadically associated with human infections. They mostly lack the two major virulence factors of toxigenic <i>V. cholerae</i> serogroups O1 and O139 strains, which are the causative agent of cholera. Non-O1, non-O139 strains are found in water bodies, sediments, and in association with other aquatic organisms. Occurrence of these bacteria in fecal specimens of waterfowl were reported, and migratory birds likely contribute to the long-distance transfer of strains. We investigated four <i>V. cholerae</i> non-O1, non-O139 isolates for phenotypic traits and by whole genome sequencing (WGS). The isolates were recovered from organs of domestic ducks with serious disease symptoms. WGS data revealed only a distant genetic relationship between all isolates. The isolates harbored a number of virulence factors found in most <i>V. cholerae</i> strains. Specific virulence factors of non-O1, non-O139 strains, such as the type III secretion system (TTSS) or cholix toxin, were observed. An interesting observation is that all isolates possess multifunctional autoprocessing repeats-in-toxin toxins (MARTX) closely related to the MARTX of toxigenic El Tor O1 strains. Different primary sequences of the abundant OmpU proteins could indicate a significant role of this virulence factor. Phenotypic characteristics such as hemolysis and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) were studied. Three isolates showed susceptibility to a number of tested antimicrobials, and one strain possessed AMR genes located in an integron. Knowledge of the environmental occurrence of <i>V. cholerae</i> non-O1, non-O139 in Germany is limited. The source of the infection of the ducks is currently unknown. In the context of the ‘One Health’ concept, it is desirable to study the ecology of <i>V. cholerae</i> non-O1, non-O139, as it cannot be excluded that the isolates possess zoonotic potential and could cause infections in humans.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/8/1104diseased birdsvirulence factorsphylogenetic analysisantimicrobial resistance
spellingShingle Nicola Hirsch
Eva Kappe
Armin Gangl
Keike Schwartz
Anne Mayer-Scholl
Jens Andre Hammerl
Eckhard Strauch
Phenotypic and Genotypic Properties of <i>Vibrio cholerae</i> non-O1, non-O139 Isolates Recovered from Domestic Ducks in Germany
Microorganisms
diseased birds
virulence factors
phylogenetic analysis
antimicrobial resistance
title Phenotypic and Genotypic Properties of <i>Vibrio cholerae</i> non-O1, non-O139 Isolates Recovered from Domestic Ducks in Germany
title_full Phenotypic and Genotypic Properties of <i>Vibrio cholerae</i> non-O1, non-O139 Isolates Recovered from Domestic Ducks in Germany
title_fullStr Phenotypic and Genotypic Properties of <i>Vibrio cholerae</i> non-O1, non-O139 Isolates Recovered from Domestic Ducks in Germany
title_full_unstemmed Phenotypic and Genotypic Properties of <i>Vibrio cholerae</i> non-O1, non-O139 Isolates Recovered from Domestic Ducks in Germany
title_short Phenotypic and Genotypic Properties of <i>Vibrio cholerae</i> non-O1, non-O139 Isolates Recovered from Domestic Ducks in Germany
title_sort phenotypic and genotypic properties of i vibrio cholerae i non o1 non o139 isolates recovered from domestic ducks in germany
topic diseased birds
virulence factors
phylogenetic analysis
antimicrobial resistance
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/8/1104
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