is the most important foodborne pathogen, and it is often associated with the contamination of poultry products. Annually,
causes around 93 million cases of gastroenteritis and 155,000 deaths ...worldwide. Antimicrobial therapy is the first choice of treatment for this bacterial infection; however, antimicrobial resistance has become a problem due to the misuse of antibiotics both in human medicine and animal production. It has been predicted that by 2050, antibiotic-resistant pathogens will cause around 10 million deaths worldwide, and the WHO has suggested the need to usher in the post-antibiotic era. The purpose of this review is to discuss and update the status of
antibiotic resistance, in particular, its prevalence, serotypes, and antibiotic resistance patterns in response to critical antimicrobials used in human medicine and the poultry industry. Based on our review, the median prevalence values of
in broiler chickens, raw chicken meat, and in eggs and egg-laying hens were 40.5% ( interquartile range IQR 11.5-58.2%), 30% (IQR 20-43.5%), and 40% (IQR 14.2-51.5%), respectively. The most common serotype was
Enteritidis, followed by
Typhimurium. The highest antibiotic resistance levels within the poultry production chain were found for nalidixic acid and ampicillin. These findings highlight the need for government entities, poultry researchers, and producers to find ways to reduce the impact of antibiotic use in poultry, focusing especially on active surveillance and finding alternatives to antibiotics.
Neurogranin (NRGN) is a small brain protein expressed in various telencephalic areas and plays an essential role in synaptic plasticity by regulating the availability of calmodulin (CaM). The study ...aims to characterize the neurogranin gene in Colombian native fish, red-bellied pacu,
Piaractus brachypomus
, its basal tissue expression and differential expression in brain injury and sublethal toxicity by organophosphates.
NRGN
gene contains an open reading frame of 183 nucleotides encoding for 60 amino acids. Bioinformatics analysis showed an IQ motif necessary in the interaction with CaM.
NRGN
mRNA was detected in tissues with higher expression in brain, gills, and head kidney. In brain regions,
NRGN
showed high expression in the telencephalon (TE) and olfactory bulb (OB). In the sublethal toxicity experiment,
NRGN
mRNA was upregulated in individuals under organophosphate exposure in the OB and optic chiasm (OC). In brain injury experiment,
NRGN
showed upregulation at 14 days in OC and at 24 h and 7 days in TE. These findings demonstrate the differential expression of
NRGN
under different experimental conditions which make it a candidate for a biomarker in the brain of
P. brachypomus
.
High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a chromosomal protein in the nucleus and a potent extracellular proinflammatory cytokine, widely described in mammals, nevertheless, with scarce reports in fish. ...In this study, full open reading frame of HMGB1a gene from Piaractus brachypomus is reported as well as its molecular characterization, including tissue gene expression. At predicted protein level, HMGB1a showed similarities with its orthologs in teleosts and higher vertebrates. The relative gene expression of HMGB1a mRNA was measured in several tissues including the brain, where a differential expression appeared in brain regions, i.e., higher expression in the cerebellum and telencephalon. In addition, in an assay of sublethal exposure to chlorpyrifos, upregulation of HMGB1a was detected in optic chiasm. Furthermore, in a traumatic brain injury model, upregulation of HMGB1a expression was evident 24 hours after lesion and remained higher up to 14 days. These findings suggest a role for HMGB1a in brain damage and its candidature as biomarker of brain injury; however, more studies are required to elucidate the functions of HMGB1a and its regulation in P. brachypomus.
Egg consumers worldwide have increased their concerns about laying hens' welfare and its impact on final egg product quality. This study compared the egg quality parameters under the conventional ...cage (CC) and cage-free (CF) egg production systems in the tropics. The study was conducted on a commercial farm in Colombia using Hy-Line Brown pullets, reared under the same conditions for the first 15 wks. At 16 wks, the hens were distributed into two housing systems, CC and CF, on the same farm. The hens were fed the same diet for each phase in both systems and feed intake varied slightly. Egg samples were collected every six wks, from 22 to 82 wks of age. A total of 3960 eggs were analyzed at 11 sampling times. Parameters such as albumen height, egg weight, yolk color, eggshell thickness, eggshell strength, and Haugh units were determined using a DET-6000 machine. At 22 and 82 wks, screening for
spp. status was conducted using environmental and egg samples. Additionally, at 34, 64, and 82 wks, yolk samples were obtained for fatty acid profiles and crude protein (CP) analysis. The data were analyzed in a completely randomized block design with repeated measures (11 times): mean separation by Student's
-test yolk pigmentation, Haugh Units, and albumen height (
< 0.001) were higher in the CF compared with the CC between 38 and 69 wks of age, and eggs at 63 and 82 wks (
< 0.05) were heavier in the CF compared to the CC. Likewise, eggs from the CC had better eggshell strength from 57 to 82 wks. In the egg yolk fatty acid profile at the 34th wk, the pentadecanoic, palmitic, and heptadecanoic acids had higher concentrations in the CF systems than the CC. At the 64th wk, the egg yolk fatty acids-lauric, myristic, and heptadecanoic-had higher concentrations in the CF; likewise, at the 82nd wk, egg yolks from the CC had higher concentrations of lauric, heptadecanoic, and nervonic fatty acids than the CF. The eggs and environmental samples were negative for
spp. throughout the whole production phase. These results indicated that the production system might impact internal and external egg quality measures, potentially due to various stressors, including environmental factors or behavior restrictions.
spp. are one of the most important food-borne pathogens in the world, emerging as a major public health concern. Moreover, multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains have been isolated from salmonellosis ...outbreaks, which compromise its treatment success. This study was conducted to characterize the phenotypic and genotypic antibiotic resistance profile of
strains isolated from broilers and humans from the regions of Tolima and Santander (Colombia).
spp. strains (n=49) were confirmed through molecular detection by amplification of the
gene. Phenotypic antibiotic resistance was determined by the automated method and the agar diffusion method, and the presence of resistance genes was evaluated by PCR. Genotypic characterization was conducted using the enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR method, from which a dendrogram was generated and the possible phylogenetic relationships were established.
isolates were classified as MDR strains exhibiting resistance to four antibiotic classes, penicillins, aminoglycosides, sulfonamides, and cephalosporins, and the human strains were resistant to gentamicin. At the genotypic level, the isolates contained the genes
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, and
. The genotyping results obtained by ERIC-PCR allowed the grouping of strains according to the source of isolation.
The
spp. strains exhibited resistance to multiple antibiotics, as well as multiple genes associated with them, and the ERIC-PCR method was a technique that was helpful in generating clusters with biological significance.
The genus Hepatozoon consists of apicomplexan protozoans that affect mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. In dogs, the Hepatozoon species include H. canis and H. americanum, which are ...transmitted by the Rhipicephalus sanguineus tick and cause nonspecific signs, such as fever, weight loss, diarrhea, and blood disorders. These protozoans have a worldwide distribution in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America, including Colombia. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with H. canis in the urban and rural areas of Ibagué, Colombia. Blood samples were collected from 308 dogs (180 rural areas and 128 urban areas). Collected data included dog breed, sex, age, environmental factors, and the presence of ectoparasites. A fragment of the 18S rRNA gene was amplified by PCR for detection of the pathogen and confirmed by sequencing. Among the 308 samples, 14 were positive (14/308, 4.5%) for the presence of H. canis. The partial sequence of the 18S rRNA gene showed identity values >98% with H. canis, forming a cluster with sequences from Latin America. An epidemiological survey found two protective factors: most of the time at home (P=0.055) and overnight stay at home (P=0.03). This is the first molecular study of the prevalence and phylogeny analysis of H. canis in Ibagué, Colombia. The findings may help determine risk factors and enhance our understanding of the geographic distribution of H. canis in Colombia.
Global egg production is mainly based on cage systems, which have been associated with negative effects on the welfare of birds. Stress factors in restrictive production systems can lead to changes ...in gene transcription and protein synthesis, ultimately impacting the quality of poultry products. The liver serves various metabolic functions, such as glycogen storage, and plays a crucial role in animals’ adaptation to environmental changes. Consequently, both internal and external conditions can influence liver functions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the gene expression of AGP, CRP, NOX4, SOD1, CAT, GPX1, SREBF1, and FXR in the liver of laying hens under two different production systems. Liver tissues from Hy-Line Brown hens housed in conventional cage and cage-free egg production systems at 60 and 80 weeks of production were used. mRNA transcript levels were determined by qPCR using the relative quantification method and ACTB as the reference gene. AGP, SOD1, and SREBF1 gene expressions were significantly higher in the conventional cage group at the 60 weeks of production. Furthermore, the mRNA levels of transcripts related to oxidative stress and lipid metabolism were higher in the group of laying hens housed in conventional cages compared to those in cage-free systems. These results suggest differential gene expression of genes related to oxidative stress in liver tissues from hens housed in conventional cages compared to cage-free systems. The conditions of the egg production system can impact the gene expression of oxidative stress and lipid synthesis genes, potentially leading to changes in the metabolism and performance of hens, including egg quality.
Hepcidins are cysteine-rich peptides, which participate in iron metabolism regulation, the inflammatory and antimicrobial response. This study characterizes the hepcidin-1 (HAMP1) gene, its ...transcript expression in different tissues, as well as its regulation in a model of brain injury in Piaractus brachypomus. Bioinformatic analysis was carried out to determine conserved domains, glycosylation sites and protein structure of HAMP1, and probability that HAMP1 corresponds to an antimicrobial peptide (AMP). Relative gene expression of the P. brachypomus HAMP1 gene was determined by qPCR from cDNA of several tissues, a brain injury model, an organophosphate sublethal toxicity model and anesthetic experiment using the 2-ΔΔCt method. HAMP1 ORF encodes for a 91 aa pre-prohepcidin conformed for a prodomain with 42 aa and mature peptide of 25 aa. Mature domain was determined as an AMP. HAMP1 transcript is expressed in all the tissues, being higher in the spleen and liver. HAMP1 mRNA level was upregulated in the brain injury group, as well as in the olfactory bulb, optic chiasm and telencephalon of red-bellied pacu brain exposed to an organophosphate. In anesthetic experiment, HAMP1 mRNA level was upregulated in the liver and gills. HAMP1 gene of P. brachypomus may be involved in the inflammatory, antimicrobial, hypoxia and stress oxidative response.
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•First molecular characterization of the hamp gene in Piaractus brachypomus.•Basal hamp gene expression was higher in liver, spleen, brain and gills.•Hamp mRNA expression was upregulated in the red-bellied pacu brain after injury.•Hamp mRNA expression was upregulated in organophosphate sublethal toxicity model.•Hamp mRNA was upregulated in the liver and the gills in the anesthetic experiment.
Background and Aim: Salmonella spp. is frequently found in the digestive tract of birds and reptiles and transmitted to humans through food. Salmonellosis is a public health problem because of ...pathogenicity variability in strains for virulence factors. This study aimed to identify the virulence genes in Salmonella isolates from humans, crocodiles, broiler cloacas, and broiler carcasses from two departments of Colombia.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 31 Salmonella enterica strains from humans with gastroenteritis (seven), crocodiles (seven), broiler cloacas (six), and broiler carcasses (12) from Tolima and Santander departments of Colombia, belonging to 21 serotypes. All samples were tested for Salmonella spp. using culture method on selective and non-selective mediums. Extraction of genomic DNA was performed from fresh colonies, DNA quality was verified by spectrophotometry and confirmed by amplification of InvA gene using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR). bapA, fimA, icmF, IroB, marT, mgtC, nlpI, oafA, pagN, siiD, spvC, spvR, spvB, Stn, and vexA genes were amplified by PCR.
Results: The most prevalent gene was bapA (100%), followed by marT (96.77%), mgtC (93.55%), and fimA (83.87%). Likewise, IroB (70.97%), Stn (67.74%), spvR (61.29%), pagN (54.84%), icmF (54.8%), and SiiD (45.16%) were positive for more than 50% of the strains. Furthermore, none of the isolates tested positive for the vexA gene. Salmonella isolates presented 26 virulence profiles.
Conclusion: This study reported 14 virulence genes in Salmonella spp. isolates from humans with gastroenteritis, crocodiles, and broiler cloacas and carcasses. The distribution of virulence genes differed among sources. This study could help in decision-making by health and sanitary authorities.
Keywords: broilers cloaca, carcasses, crocodiles, gastroenteritis human, polymerase chain reaction, virulence genes.
Background and Aim: Heat shock proteins are highly conserved proteins that work as molecular chaperones expressed in response to thermal stress. This study aimed to determine the expression profile ...of genes related to the heat stress response in whole blood obtained from the Romosinuano creole breed.
Materials and Methods: Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to analyze the transcript of hsp90, hsp70, hsp60, and hsf1 in the whole blood of Romosinuano under different temperature-humidity indices (THIs).
Results: The expression levels of the hsp70 and hsf1 genes at the high-THI level were higher (p = 0.0011 and p = 0.0003, respectively) than those at the low-THI level. In addition, no differences in the expression levels of the hsp60 and hsP90 genes were detected between the two THIs.
Conclusion: The overexpression of hsf1 and hsp70 genes play an important role in protecting cells from damage induced by heat stress.
Keywords: climate change, external environment, heat shock proteins, heat stress, mRNA, temperature-humidity index.