Isolation of Campylobacter spp. from Three Species of Antarctic Penguins in Different Geographic Locations

• Published in: EcoHealth Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 78 - 87
• Main Authors: García-Peña, F. J., Llorente, M. T., Serrano, T., Ruano, M. J., Belliure, J., Benzal, J., Herrera-León, S., Vidal, V., D’Amico, V., Pérez-Boto, D., Barbosa, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.03.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal diseases; Animal Ecology; Animal populations; Antarctic zone; Bacterial infections; Birds; Campylobacter lari; Ecosystems; Environmental Health; Habitats; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Microbiology; Original Contribution; Public Health; Pygoscelis adeliae; Pygoscelis antarctica; Pygoscelis papua; Water and Health; Antarctic region; PSW, Antarctica, South Shetland Is., Livingston I; PSW, Antarctica, Antarctic Peninsula; PSW, Antarctica, South Shetland Is., King George I; PSW, Antarctica, South Shetland Is., Livingston I., Hannah Point; Antarctica, South Shetland Is., Livingston I., Byers Peninsula; PSW, Antarctica, South Shetland Is., Deception I; PSW, Antarctica, South Shetland Is., King George I., Stranger Point; PSW, Antarctica, Antarctic Peninsula, Paradise Bay; pygoscelids penguins; Antarctica; Campylobacter
• DOI: 10.1007/s10393-016-1203-z
• ISSN: 1612-9202

The presence of Campylobacter species was studied in three Antarctic penguin species, Adélie ( Pygoscelis adeliae ), chinstrap ( Pygoscelis antarctica ) and gentoo ( Pygoscelis papua ). A total of 390 penguins were captured in 12 different rookeries along the Antarctic Peninsula with differences in the amount of human visitation: six colonies were highly visited [Stranger Point, King George Island ( P. papua and P. adeliae ); Hannah Point, Livingston Island ( P. papua and P. antarctica ); Deception Island ( P. antarctica ); and Paradise Bay, Antarctic Peninsula ( P. papua )], and six colonies were rarely visited [Devil’s Point, Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island ( P. papua ); Cierva Cove, Antarctic Peninsula ( P. papua ); Rongé Island ( P. papua and P. antarctica ); Yalour Island ( P. adeliae ); and Avian Island ( P. adeliae )]. A total of 23 strains were isolated from penguins from nine different rookeries. Campylobacter lari subsp. lari was isolated from eight samples (seven from P. papua and one from P. adeliae ); C. lari subsp. concheus from 13 (ten from P. adeliae and three from P. antarctica ) and C. volucris from two samples (both from P. papua ). We did not find any significant differences in the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. between the populations in highly and rarely visited areas. This is the first report of C. lari subsp. concheus and C. volucris isolation from penguins in the Antarctic region.