Repozytorium wiedzy PIWet - PIB

Genome-wide association study of Mycoplasma anserisalpingitidis strains for antibiotic susceptibility

2026-03-17T10:29:22Z

Genome-wide association study of Mycoplasma anserisalpingitidis strains for antibiotic susceptibility Kovács, Áron B.; Wehman, Enikő; Bekő, Katinka; Grózne, Dénes; Bali, Krisztina; Kreizinger, Zsuzsa; Sawicka, Anna; Bányai, Krisztián; Gyuranecz, Miklós Mycoplasma anserisalpingitidis is a facultative pathogenic bacterium affecting waterfowl, predominantly geese and sporadically ducks. Understanding the molecular basis of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms is crucial in the preservation of antibiotic efficiency. This study aimed to elucidate the genetic background of antibiotic susceptibility profiles of 110 M. anserisalpingitidis strains against nine antimicrobial agents. Significant associations between k-mers and five (tylvalosin, tilmicosin, enrofloxacin, lincomycin, spectinomycin) of the nine antimicrobial agents were identified by pyseer. Significant associations were found in multiple coding sequences that encode various members of efflux pumps, epigenetic regulation and topoisomerases among many other groups of functions. Certain k-mers associated with genes found putative prophage-like sequences suggest potential horizontal gene transfer events that could facilitate the acquisition of novel resistance mechanisms. Based on our findings, the genetic background of antimicrobial resistance of M. anserisalpingitidis is composed of multiple factors. Our results not only correlated with the majority of known antibiotic resistance mechanisms (e.g. drug target modification, efflux pumps, methyltransferases) but also showed potentially novel genes that could play a significant role in antimicrobial resistance. The results may serve to expedite the diagnosis of M. anserisalpingitidis antibiotic susceptibility profiles and support the fight against the spreading of resistance.

Use of dogs trained to search for wild boar carcasses in passive surveillance as the most effective tool to control the spread of African swine fever in Poland

2026-03-17T10:14:27Z

Use of dogs trained to search for wild boar carcasses in passive surveillance as the most effective tool to control the spread of African swine fever in Poland Kruszyński, Mateusz; Larska, Magdalena; Banaszak, Beata; Świlak, Jadwiga; Tarka, Patryk; Pejsak, Zygmunt; Juszkiewicz, Małgorzata; Woźniakowski, Grzegorz The most effective proactive measures to combat the African swine fever virus (ASFV) and mitigate the financial losses associated with its spread to pig farms is to minimise its transmission within the wild boar population. The aim of the study was to compare traditional human ground search with alternative methods using specially trained detection dogs, hunting dogs and drones in locating and removing wild boar carcasses as the main source of ASFV infection. Most of wild boar carcasses 397 out of 400 (99.2 %) were found by the trained search dogs, while other 3 were located using hunting dogs. Also, the efficiency of carcass retrieval with hunting dogs was much lower than with trained dogs with 0.002 versus 2.08 ASFV RT-PCR positive WB carcasses found per search. Searches with drones, humans or mixed method were found unsuccessful. The search efficiency using dogs trained for this purpose was on average more than two and a half times higher than the values determined by the EFSA ASF exit strategy developed using the wild boar approach. The carcass retrieval by search dogs was associated with ASF seasonality in wild boar in the central Europe, however, was not affected by the harsher conditions of winter months. This is particularly important due to the ASFV ability to survive in low tempera- tures. The study revealed also local variation in the sampling efforts which could have affected effectivity of ASF passive surveillance. To our knowledge, the presented research is the first attempt to evaluate the use of dogs to locate wild boar carcasses as a key element of passive surveillance in ASF control.

Laboratory Diagnostics of Botulism Cases in Livestock in Poland in 2022–2024

2026-03-13T09:18:56Z

Laboratory Diagnostics of Botulism Cases in Livestock in Poland in 2022–2024 Jarosz, Aleksandra; Sapała, Magdalena; Grenda, Tomasz Botulism is a neuroparalytic disease caused by exposure to botulinum neurotoxins pro- duced by anaerobic spore-forming bacteria of the genus Clostridium. This disease occurs in both humans and wild and domestic animals, and is currently becoming an increas- ingly serious problem worldwide due to high animal mortality and economic losses. The clinical signs observed during the progression of botulism are nonspecific and difficult to unequivocally associate with this disease entity. The aim of this study is to present laboratory diagnostics of suspected botulism cases reported in Poland in 2022–2024, as well as to present the challenges encountered during laboratory investigations. The material for the study consisted of samples of liver, serum, digestive tract, feed, feces, straw, and water from drinking lines, sent to the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) in relation to thirteen suspected cases of botulism, predominantly reported in poultry, but also in mink and cattle farms. The samples were analyzed using a mouse bioassay and conventional culture methods, as well as real-time PCR methods aimed at detecting the ntnh and bont genes, which determine the production of botulinum neurotoxins. Of the thirteen suspected cases analyzed, ten were confirmed by the detection of botulinum toxin (BoNTs) and/or the presence of the ntnh and bont genes in the tested material. Based on the results obtained, it was concluded that botulinum toxin type C was the etiological factor of botulism poisoning in most of the analyzed cases. In one case reported in cattle, poisoning occurred as a result of the mosaic variant of BoNT D/C. Due to the nonspecific signs of botulism and the time required for them to appear, laboratory diagnostics play a key role in detecting the disease. However, this process is complicated due to the high heterogeneity observed among Clostridium spp. strains, as well as difficulties encountered during the isolation of the microorganism and the possibility of loss of toxin-producing capacity at later stages of analysis.

The differences in levels of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the hair of wild terrestrial mammals with various feeding behaviour

2026-03-05T07:33:15Z

The differences in levels of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the hair of wild terrestrial mammals with various feeding behaviour Gonkowski, Sławomir; Menozzi, Alice; Petrini, Antonio; Cocco, Antonio; Chiara, Maria; Maria Chiara, Cantelmi; Mikołajczyk, Szczepan; Makowska, Krystyna; Merola, Carmine Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent environmental pollutants found across various ecosystems. While human and domestic animal exposure to PFASs is well documented, data on wild terrestrial mammals remain scarce, particularly using hair sample analysis. This study aimed to assess the levels of selected 12 PFASs in the hair of different wild mammal species with varying feeding behaviours, using liquid chromatography—tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The mean concentrations (± SD) were observed for PFNA (0.309 ± 0.33 ng/g), PFOA (0.272 ± 0.52 ng/g),L-PFOS (0.154 ± 0.3 ng/g), PFBS (0.013 ± 0.04 ng/g), PFHxA (0.067 ± 0.06 ng/g), PFHpA (0.064 ± 0.1 ng/g), PFUnDA (0.088 ± 0.13 ng/g) and PFDoDA (0.083 ± 0.15 ng/g) while mean concentrations of PFHxS, B-PFOS, PFPeS and PFHpS were lower than limits of quantification (LOQ). The results also indicated that PFAS concentrations were generally higher in predatory species compared to herbivores (p < 0,05), likely due to biomagnification processes in food chains. This study supports the applicability of hair analysis as a non-invasive method for monitoring PFAS exposure in wild terrestrial mammals.