As. Pac. J. Mol. Biol. & Biotech., July 2012 Vol. 3, 93-98
High Prevalence of Aeromonas spp. in poultry farmers from a rural community of South Brazil
Janice de Fátima Pavan Zanella, Rakel Batista da Luz, Raquel Fadanelli, Manuela Peletti Figueiró, Ana Paula Longaray Delamare*, Sergio Olavo Pinto da Costa and Sergio Echeverrigaray
Institute of Biotechnology, University of Caxias do Sul, R. Francisco G. Vargas 1130, Caxias do Sul, 95001-970, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
* Author for correspondence: Ana Paula Longaray Delamare
Institute of Biotechnology, University of Caxias do Sul, R. Francisco G. Vargas 1130, Caxias do Sul, 95001-970, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
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Abstract.
The high incidence of Aeromonas in poultry stool samples, carcasses and processing plants waste water indicate that these animals are a repository of Aeromonas and a possible risk for people that maintain intimate contact with these animals. In this context, we report the high prevalence of Aeromonas in asymptomatic poultry farmers (18.5%) of the Northwest region of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, compared with that in the near urban community (0%), and that previously reported for diarrheic patients (10-13%). Although asymptomatic, 78% of the Aeromonas positive workers reported frequent gastroenteric disorders. Molecular characterization supported the relationship between poultry and farmers’ isolates. Even when collected from asymptomatic people, the isolates harbored several virulence factors and genes that make them potential pathogens. Multiple resistance to antibiotics was frequent among the isolates, specially to the beta-lactam antibiotics gentamycin, amikacin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and erythromycin. The results indicate that poultry farmers are a risk group for Aeromonas infection.
