Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-ph5wq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T03:44:58.427Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The significance of wild birds (Larus sp.) in the epidemiology of campylobacter infections in humans

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

C. D. Whelan
Affiliation:
Department of Bacteriology, Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow G21 3UW
P. Monaghan
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ.
R. W. A. Girdwood
Affiliation:
Department of Bacteriology, Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow G21 3UW
C. R. Fricker
Affiliation:
Department of Bacteriology, Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow G21 3UW
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

During much of the present century, the population of herring gulls in Britain has increased rapidly (Cramp, Bourne & Saunders, 1973; Chabrzyk & Coulson, 1976; Monaghan & Coulson, 1977). Accompanying this changes was an increased utilization by these birds of human waste as a food supply, particularly sewage and refuse emanating from our towns and cities (Monaghan, 1983; Horton et al. 1983). This, coupled with their habits of roosting on agricultural land and water storage reservoirs and of breeding on inhabited buildings, has given rise to concern over the role of these birds in the spread of disease to man and domestic animals (e.g. Fenlon, 1981; Reilly et al. 1981; Butterfield et al. 1983; Monaghan et al. 1985; Girdwood et al. 1986).

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

References

Benjamin, J., Leaper, S., Owen, R. J. & Skirrow, M. B. (1983). Description of Campylobacter laridis a new species comprising the nalidixic acid resistant thermophilic campylobacter (NARTC) group. Current Microbiology 8, 231238.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bolton, F. J., Coates, D., Hutchinson, D. N. & Godfree, A. F. (1987). A study of thermophilic campylobacters in a river system. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 62, 167176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Butterfield, J., Coulson, J. C., Kearsey, S. V., Monaghan, P., McCoy, J. H. & Spain, G. E. (1983). The herring gull Larus argentatus as a carrier of salmonella. Journal of Hygiene 91, 429436.Google Scholar
Carter, A. M., Pacha, R. E., Clark, G. W. & Williams, E. A. (1987). Seasonal occurrence of Campylobacter spp. in surface waters and their correlation with standard indicators. Applied Environmental Microbiology 53, 523526.Google Scholar
Chabrzyk, G. & Coulson, J. C. (1976). Survival and recruitment in the herring gull Larus argentatus. Journal of Animal Ecology 45, 187203.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coulson, J. C., Thomas, C. S., Butterfield, J. E. L., Duncan, N., Monagiian, P. & Shedden, C. (1983). The use of head and bill length to sex live gulls (Laridae). Ibis 125, 549557.Google Scholar
Fenlon, D. R. (1981). Seagulls (Larus spp.) as vectors of salmonellae: an investigation into the range of serotypes and numbers of salmonellae in gull faeces. Journal of Hygiene 86, 195202.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fenlon, D. R., Reid, T. M. S. & Porter, I. A. (1982). Birds as a source of campylobacter infections. In Campylobacter: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis and Biochemistry (ed. D., G. Newell), pp. 261266. Lancaster: MTP Press.Google Scholar
Fricker, C. R., Girdwood, R. W. A. & Munro, D. (1983). A comparison of procedures for the isolation of campylobacters from seagull faeces. Journal of Hygiene 91, 445450.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fricker, C. & Metcalfe, N. (1984). Campylobacters in wading birds (Charadrii): Incidence, biotypes and isolation techniques. Zentralblatt f r Bakteriologie und Hygiene (I. Abt. Originale B) 179, 469475.Google Scholar
Girdwood, R. W. A., Fricker, C. R., Munro, D., Shedden, C. B. & Monaghan, P. (1985). The incidence and significance of salmonella carriage by gulls (Larus spp.) in Scotland. Journal of Hygiene 95, 229241.Google Scholar
Goossens, H., DeBoeck, M., Van Landuyt, H. & Butzler, J. P. (1984). Isolation of Campylobacterjejuni from human faeces. In Campylobacter Infection in Man and Animals (ed. J., P. Butzler), pp. 3950. Boca Raton: CRC Press.Google Scholar
Grant, P. J. (1981). Gulls: A Guide to Identification. T. & A. D. Poyser, Calton UK.Google Scholar
Horton, N., Brough, T. & Rochard, J. B. A. (1983). The importance of refuse tips to gulls wintering in an inland area of south–east England. Journal of Applied Ecology 20, 751765.Google Scholar
Hussong, D., Damere, J. M., Limpert, R. J., Sladen, W. J. L., Weiner, R. M. & Cowell, R. R. (1979). Microbial impact of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) and whistling swans (Cygnus columbianus columbianus) on aquatic ecosystems. Applied Environmental Microbiology 37, 1420.Google Scholar
Jones, D. M., Abbott, J. D., Painter, M. J. & Sutcliffe, E. M. (1984). A comparison of biotypes and serotypes of Campylobacter spp. isolated from patients with enteritis and from animal and environmental sources. Journal of Infection 9, 5158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karmali, M. A., Penner, J. L., Fleming, P. C., Williams, A. & Hennessy, J. N. (1983). The serotype and biotype distribution of clinical isolates of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli over a three year period. Journal of Infectious Diseases 147, 243246.Google Scholar
Karmali, M. A., & Skirrow, M. B. (1984). Taxonomy of the genus Campylobacter. In Campylobacter Infection in Man and Animals (ed. J., P. Butzler), pp. 120. Boca Raton: CRC Press.Google Scholar
Leuchtefeld, N. A., Blaser, M. J., Reller, L. B. & Wang, W. L. (1980). Isolation of Campylobacter fetus subsp. jejuni from migratory waterfowl. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 12, 406408.Google Scholar
Monaghan, P. (1983). Problems of gulls as pests. British Trust for Ornithology Jubilee Volume, pp. 232237. T. & A. D. Poyser, Calton, UK.Google Scholar
Monaghan, P. & Coulson, J. C. (1977). Status of large gulls nesting on buildings. Bird Study 24, 89104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Monaghan, P., Shedden, C. B., Ensor, K., Fricker, C. R. & Girdwood, R. W. A. (1985). Salmonella carriage by herring gulls in the Clyde area of Scotland in relation to their feeding ecology. Journal of Applied Ecology 22, 669680.Google Scholar
Penner, J. L. & Hennessy, J. N. (1980). Passive haemagglutination techniques for serotyping Campylobacter fetus subsp. jejuni on the basis of soluble heat stable antigens. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 12, 732737.Google Scholar
Penner, J. L., Hennessy, J. N. & Congi, R. V. (1983). Serotyping of C. jejuni and C. coli on the basis of thermostable antigens. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology 2, 378383.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reilly, W. J., Forbes, G. I., Paterson, G. M. & Sharp, J. C. M. (1981). Human and animal salmonellosis in Scotland associated with environmental contamination, 1973–1979. Veterinary Record 108, 553555.Google Scholar
Reisinger, H. M. (1985). Isolation of thermophilic campylobacters from surface waters: seasonal cycle and correlation with faecal indicators. In Campylobacter III (ed. Pearson, A.D., Skirrow, M. B., Lior, H. & Rowe, B.), pp. 285286. Public Health Laboratory Service, London.Google Scholar
Skirrow, M. B. (1987). A demographic survey of campylobacter, salmonella and shigella infections in England. Epidemiology and Infection 99, 647657.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed