Logo image
Serpulina pilosicoli, waterbirds and water: potential sources of infection for humans and other animals
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Serpulina pilosicoli, waterbirds and water: potential sources of infection for humans and other animals

S.L. Oxberry, D.J. Trott and D.J. Hampson
Epidemiology and Infection, Vol.121(1), pp.219-225
1998
pdf
Serpulina_pilosicoli_and_waterbirds.pdfDownloadView
Published (Version of Record) Open Access
url
Link to Published Version *Subscription may be requiredView

Abstract

Serpulina pilosicoli was isolated from 8 of 43 (19%) faecal specimens obtained from feral waterbirds sampled around a small lake at Perth Zoological Gardens, Western Australia, and from 3 of 7 (43%) samples of the lake water. The organism was only isolated from 1 of 204 (0·5%) samples from captive birds and animals in the zoological collection. Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis analysis of the isolates showed that they were genetically diverse, and none had identical electrophoretic profiles as those previously obtained from human beings, dogs, pigs and other avian species. To determine the survival time of S. pilosicoli in water, cells of strain 1648 were seeded into lake and tap water, and incubated at 4, 25 and 37°C. The organism could be recultured from lake water for up to 66 days at 4°C, and for 4 days at 25°C. A healthy human volunteer who drank water seeded with S. pilosicoli strain Wes B became colonized, and developed abdominal discomfort and headaches. Contamination of water by faeces may represent a source of S. pilosicoli infection for both humans and animals.

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

Source: InCites

Metrics

229 File views/ downloads
112 Record Views

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Citation topics
1 Clinical & Life Sciences
1.248 Sexually Transmitted Infections
1.248.2445 Lawsonia Intracellularis
Web Of Science research areas
Infectious Diseases
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
ESI research areas
Social Sciences, general
Logo image