Isolation of Salmonella from hedgehog faeces living in parks and gardens and determination of antibiotic resistance

Year 2020, Vetexpo-2019, KHVD-2019, 83 - 83, 31.03.2020

Kemal Metiner Belgi Diren Sığırcı

Abstract

Hedgehog is one of the animals that started to feed as pet animals worldwide. In our country, hedgehogs
are listed in “Wild Animals Protected by Republic Of Turkey Ministry Of Agriculture And Forestry”, and
they are prohibited from being removed from the natural environment and cared as pet animal at home.
However, hedgehogs, whose nest has deteriorated due to the deterioration of the natural environment as a
result of intensive construction, have started to live in areas where people live for feeding purposes. The
hedgehogs who come to eat cat food left in the streets in order to feed stray cats, especially by
animallovers, have come into close contact with both stray animals and humans. Salmonellosis is a global
disease, most commonly reported as food and waterborne bacterial infection in humans, sometimes
transmitted from animals to humans or from human to other animals by a vector. In many European
countries, salmonella isolated from hedgehog faeces is reported to be the source of human salmonellosis.
In this study, fecal samples were collected from 30 hedgehogs brought to veterinary clinics for treatment in
Istanbul. Samples were cultured for salmonella by conventional methods and were confirmed as
the Salmonella spp. by PCR. The typing of the strains was performed in the reference laboratory.
Antibiotic resistance profiles of the two isolates were determined. As a result, 2 Salmonella spp. isolated
from 30 stool samples were identified as Salmonella Typhimurium 4,5,12: i: 1,2. Both isolates were
phenotypically resistant to ciprofloxacin, but genotypically resistant genes were not detected. This study is
the first report that was revealed Salmonella carriage in the hedgehog in Turkey. Salmonella
Typhimurium is known to cause severe infections in humans. For this reason, more extensive studies
should be performed in terms of the carrier of salmonella and other zoonotic agents in hedgehogs.

Keywords

Hedgehog, faeces, Salmonella spp.

References

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