Potential zoonotic pathogens in urban red squirrels: A bacteriological pilot survey in a Japanese urban park
Keywords:
human-wildlife conflicts, supplemental feeding, urban wildlife, zoonosisAbstract
Urban wildlife typically reduce vigilance and increase tolerance toward humans. However, human-wildlife interactions, such as direct feeding, may facilitate the transmission of zoonotic pathogens. This bacteriological pilot survey analyzed 20 palm and 20 rectal swab samples collected from 18 Eurasian red squirrels inhabiting an urban park to investigate their bacterial flora. Most bacteria isolated from the palm swabs were resident microbiota (e.g. Staphylococcus sciuri). Escherichia coli was isolated from 12 of the 20 swab samples and one isolate was identified as serotype O25, which may be associated with pathogenic E. coli. However, no other major pathogens, including Pasteurella spp. and Campylobacter spp., were observed. Although this was a pilot study, the findings provide preliminary insight into pathogen presence in Eurasian red squirrels inhabiting an urban park in Japan. Further investigation of specific virulence determinants, particularly with respect to E. coli, is required to assess the risk of pathogen transmission in an urban park in Japan.
References
Bradley, C. A., & Altizer, S. (2007). Urbanization and the ecology of wildlife diseases. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 22(2), 95–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2006.11.001
Chen, S., Wang, Y., Chen, F., Yang, H., Gan, M., & Zheng, S. J. (2007). A highly pathogenic strain of Staphylococcus sciuri caused fatal exudative epidermitis in piglets. PloS One, 2: e147. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0000147.
Dwużnik-Szarek, D., Beliniak, A., Malaszewicz, W., Krauze-Gryz, D., Gryz, J., Jasińska, K. D., Wężyk, D., & Bajer, A. (2024). Pathogens detected in ticks (Ixodes ricinus) feeding on red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) from city parks in Warsaw. Experimental and Applied Acarology, 93, 677–699. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-024-00955-y.
Grimm NB, Faeth SH, Golubiewski NE, Redman CL, Wu J, Bai X, Briggs JM. (2008). Global change and the ecology of cities. Science, 319(5864), 756–760. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1150195.Science 319: 756–760.
Hassell, J. M., Begon, M., Ward, M. J., & Fèvre, E. M. (2017). Urbanization and disease emergence: dynamics at the wildlife–livestock–human interface. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 32(1), 55–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2016.09.012.
Horii, T., Suzuki, Y., Kimura, T., Kanno, T., & Maekawa, M. (2001). Intravenous catheter-related septic shock caused by Staphylococcus sciuri and Escherichia vulneris. Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases, 33(12), 930–932. https://doi.org/10.1080/00365540110076750.
Ikushima, S., Torii, H., Sugiyama, M., & Asai, T. (2023). Characterization of quinolone-resistant and extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli derived from sika deer populations of the Nara Prefecture, Japan. Journal of Veterinary Medical Science, 85(9), 937–941. https://doi.org/10.1292/jvms.23-0069.
Krauze‐Gryz, D., Gryz, J., & Brach, M. (2021). Spatial organization, behaviour and feeding habits of red squirrels: differences between an urban park and an urban forest. Journal of Zoology, 315(1), 69–78. https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.12905.
Olah, D. I., Páll, E., Cerbu, C., Zăblău, S. D., Duca, G., Suătean, M. I., Potârniche, A. V., Vasiu, A., & Spînu, M. (2022). A peek into the bacterial microbiome of the Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris). Animals, 12(5), 666. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12050666.
Poolman, J. T., & Wacker, M. (2016). Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli, a common human pathogen: challenges for vaccine development and progress in the field. The Journal of infectious diseases, 213(1), 6–13. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiv429.
Rodríguez, A., & Andrén, H. (2001). A comparison of Eurasian red squirrel distribution in different fragmented landscapes. Journal of Applied Ecology, 36(5), 649–662. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2664.1999.00426.x.
Ruyts, S. C., Frazer-Mendelewska, E., Van Den Berge, K., Verheyen, K., & Sprong, H. (2017). Molecular detection of tick-borne pathogens Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia miyamotoi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris). European Journal of Wildlife Research, 63, 43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-017-1104-7.
Samia, D. S., Nakagawa, S., Nomura, F., Rangel, T. F., & Blumstein, D. T. (2015). Increased tolerance to humans among disturbed wildlife. Nature Communications, 6, 8877. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9877.
Sarowska, J., Futoma-Koloch, B., Jama-Kmiecik, A., Frej-Madrzak, M., Ksiazczyk, M., Bugla-Ploskonska, G., & Choroszy-Krol, I. (2019). Virulence factors, prevalence and potential transmission of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from different sources: recent reports. Gut Pathogens, 11, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13099-019-0290-0.
Sonoda, M., Okamoto, D., Nakamura, K., Kuboi, H., & Maezono, S. (2021). An outbreak case of foodborne illness caused by Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli at a catered Bento preparation facility (in Japanese). Infectious Agents Surveillance Report, 42.
Stepanovic, S., Jezek, P., Vukovic, D., Dakic, I., & Petras, P. (2003). Isolation of members of the Staphylococcus sciuri group from urine and their relationship to urinary tract infections. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 41(11), 5262–5264. https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.41.11.5262-5264.2003.
Takahata, Y., Uchida, K., Shimamoto, T., Kutsukake, N., Shirai, K., Tanaka, K., & Ito, M. (2023). Supplemental feedings affect diet seasonality and niche width in urban Eurasian red squirrels. Journal of Mammalogy, 104(6), 1443–1454. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyad089.
Uchida, K., Suzuki, K. K., Shimamoto, T., Yanagawa, H., & Koizumi, I. (2019). Decreased vigilance or habituation to humans? Mechanisms on increased boldness in urban animals. Behavioral Ecology, 30(6), 1583–1590. https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arz117.
Uchida, K., Blumstein, D. T., & Soga, M. (2024). Managing wildlife tolerance to humans for ecosystem goods and services. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 39(3), 248–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2023.10.008.
Watando, E., Inaba, N., Komatsu, T., Sugie, K., Ida, Y., Shibahara, T., & Kusumoto, M. (2021). High mortality in suckling piglets caused by extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (in Japanese with English abstract). Journal of the Japan Veterinary Medical Association, 74(10), 623–630. https://doi.org/10.12935/jvma.74.623.
Wu, S. W., De Lencastre, H., & Tomasz, A. (2001). Recruitment of the mecA gene homologue of Staphylococcus sciuri into a resistance determinant and expression of the resistant phenotype in Staphylococcus aureus. Journal of Bacteriology, 183(8), 2417–2424. https://doi.org/10.1128/jb.183.8.2417-2424.2001.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
JWB applies the 