Wild waterfowl as potential vectors of Vibrio cholerae and Aeromonas species.

OBJECTIVE

To study the hypothesis that migratory waterfowl are possible disseminators of Vibrio cholerae and Aeromonas.

METHODS

We monitored the presence of V. cholerae and Aeromonas in three wild waterfowl species.

RESULTS

V. cholerae and Aeromonas species were isolated and identified from intestine samples of little egrets and black-crowned night herons. Only Aeromonas species were isolated from black-headed gulls. The majority of Aeromonas isolates were A. veronii. Twenty-three V. cholerae serogroups were identified. V. cholerae serogroup O1 was found in the intestine DNA extractions from four little egrets and black-crowned night herons; six birds carried cholera toxin subunit A gene.

CONCLUSION

Wild waterfowl species may carry pathogenic V. cholerae O1 and non-O1 serogroups and Aeromonas species in their intestine. The migration of waterfowl is a potential mechanism for global distribution of V. cholerae and Aeromonas.