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

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Abstract

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.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Spanish Antarctic Base “Gabriel de Castilla” for their help, assistance and hospitality, the Marine Technology Unit (CSIC) and the Spanish Navy’s Oceanographic Research Ship “Las Palmas” for their help, logistics and transport. We greatly appreciate Carmen Carrillo and Maria Jose Palacios for assistance in fieldwork and Nieves Frías, Sara Lorente, Elena San Miguel and Claudia Buhigas for assistance in laboratory work. We thank to OXOID Ltd., and specially to Tania Fernández Satre, for their disinterested and generous cooperation. Permission to work in the studied area and for penguin handling was granted by Spanish Polar Committee. This study has been funded by Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and European Regional Development Fund under the Projects CGL2004-01348, POL2006-05175, CGL2007-60369 and CTM2011-24427 during writing. This is a contribution to the PINGUCLIM project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dpto. de Bacteriología 2, Laboratorio Central de Veterinaria de Algete (LCV de Algete), Carretera Madrid-Algete M-106, 28110, Algete, Madrid, Spain

    F. J. García-Peña & M. J. Ruano

  2. Laboratorio de Enterobacterias, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain

    M. T. Llorente & S. Herrera-León

  3. Grupo TRAGSA, Madrid, Spain

    T. Serrano

  4. Dpto. de Ecología, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

    J. Belliure

  5. Dpto. Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, CSIC, Almería, Spain

    J. Benzal

  6. Dpto. Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain

    V. Vidal & A. Barbosa

  7. Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

    V. D’Amico

  8. Centro Nacional de Alimentación (AECOSAN), Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain

    D. Pérez-Boto

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  1. F. J. García-Peña
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  2. M. T. Llorente
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Correspondence to F. J. García-Peña.

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García-Peña, F.J., Llorente, M.T., Serrano, T. et al. Isolation of Campylobacter spp. from Three Species of Antarctic Penguins in Different Geographic Locations. EcoHealth 14, 78–87 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-016-1203-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-016-1203-z

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