DETECTION OF SALMONELLA AND HELICOBACTER SPP. IN CAPTIVE WILD FELIDS

The current study aimed to investigate the presence of Salmonella and Helicobacter species in captive wild felids in addition to perform serotyping, antibiotic sensitivity test to the isolated Salmonella spp. and detection of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes. A total of 60 fecal samples were collected from 30 captive wild felids from Giza zoo and private zoo in Egypt. All animals were apparent healthy except eight African lions ( Panthera Leo ) have a history of vomiting. Samples were examined bacteriologically for the presence of Salmonella spp., followed by biochemical and serological tests. Moreover, obtained isolates were subjected to antimicrobial sensitivity testing and detection of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes. Fecal samples from lions with history of vomiting, were subjected to direct molecular identification for detection of Helicobacter spp. Overall, Salmonella spp. were isolated from 3 wild cats ( Felis chaus) . Two serovars of Salmonella were detected; S. Bovismorbificans and S. Southampton while Helicobacter felis was isolated from one African lion. Isolates of Salmonella spp. showed complete resistance to cefaclor (100%), cefoxitin (100%), and cefadroxil (100%); and very high resistance to tobramycin (66.7%), while it completely sensitive to Azithromycin (100%), Sulfa/trimethoprim (100%), Nitrofurantoin (100%), Doxycycline (100%), Amoxicillin-Clavulanic acid (100%), Fosfomycin (100%) and Oxytetracycline (100%). bla TEM and bla SHV were confirmed in Salmonella isolates showing resistant to Cefaclor and Cefoxitin, and aadA2 in S. Bovismorbificans that showing resistant to tobramycin. S. Southampton and S. Bovismorbificans have invA, stn, sopB , and hilA genes while S. Bovismorbificans carry also pefA gene as a virulence genes.