scholarly journals Genomic Characterization of Campylobacter jejuni Adapted to the Guinea Pig (Cavia porcellus) Host

Author(s):  
Craig T. Parker ◽  
Kerry K. Cooper ◽  
Francesca Schiaffino ◽  
William G. Miller ◽  
Steven Huynh ◽  
...  

Campylobacter jejuni is the leading bacterial cause of gastroenteritis worldwide with excessive incidence in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC). During a survey for C. jejuni from putative animal hosts in a town in the Peruvian Amazon, we were able to isolate and whole genome sequence two C. jejuni strains from domesticated guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus). The C. jejuni isolated from guinea pigs had a novel multilocus sequence type that shared some alleles with other C. jejuni collected from guinea pigs. Average nucleotide identity and phylogenetic analysis with a collection of C. jejuni subsp. jejuni and C. jejuni subsp. doylei suggest that the guinea pig isolates are distinct. Genomic comparisons demonstrated gene gain and loss that could be associated with guinea pig host specialization related to guinea pig diet, anatomy, and physiology including the deletion of genes involved with selenium metabolism, including genes encoding the selenocysteine insertion machinery and selenocysteine-containing proteins.

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
John B. Fournier ◽  
Kimberly Knox ◽  
Maureen Harris ◽  
Michael Newstein

Salmonellaoutbreaks have been linked to a wide variety of foods, including recent nationwide outbreaks. Guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), also known as cuy or cobayo, has long been a popular delicacy and ceremonial food in the Andean region in South America. This case report describes three family outbreaks of nontyphoidal salmonellosis, each occurring after a meal of guinea pigs. We believe this case report is the first to describe a probable association between the consumption of guinea pig meat and human salmonellosis. Physicians should be aware of the association ofSalmonellaand the consumption of guinea pigs, given the increasing immigration of people from the Andean region of South America and the increasing travel to this region.


2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 170
Author(s):  
A. Grégoire ◽  
F. Peredo ◽  
S. León ◽  
E. Huamán ◽  
A. Allard ◽  
...  

The guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) has been used as a laboratory animal since the late 18th century and still remains essential in many research areas. It also plays an important role in the Andes societies as a source of protein for many low-income highlanders and as part of rituals and traditional medicines. Thus, the conservation of genetic diversity is a long-term issue that must be considered. To establish an embryo cryobank, it is necessary to develop a method of embryo transfer. Up to now no pregnancies after surgical embryo transfer into synchronized females have been reported in guinea pigs. The aim of this work was to design a standard embryo transfer method in this species. Eight normally cycling female guinea pigs from the Maria-Marcela Farm (Puente Piedra, Peru), weighing from 1 to 1.5 kg, were used in this study. Females were housed under farming conditions and fed on commercial pellets and tap water ad libitum. Three donor females were superovulated using 15 IU of human menopausal gonadotrophin (hMG, Massone®, Buenos Aires, Argentina) and mated as soon as the vagina opened. Copulatory plug was observed and vaginal smears were taken to guarantee successful mating. Thirty-eight embryos were collected between Days 3.5 and 4.5 after ovulation at the morula and early blastocyst stages. Five recipient females were synchronized by a daily 0.1-mL dose of altrenogest (Regumate® Equine, Intervet, France) per os by means of a syringe for 15 days. Two embryos were transferred into each uterine horn by laparotomy at Day 3.5 and 4.5 after ovulation. Two types of pipettes were tested for embryo transfer: pulled glass pipettes approximately 0.3 mm in diameter in 2 female recipients and plastic open pulled straws (OPS, Minitüb®, Germany) in 3 recipients. Pregnancy diagnosis was detected by observation of no return to oestrus at Day 16 and confirmed by ultrasonography. None of the 3 OPS-transferred females were pregnant. One of the 2 pulled glass pipette–transferred females was diagnosed as pregnant and delivered 2 stillbirths (one per uterine horn). There were no postsurgical complications and the females undergoing embryo transfer returned to normal reproduction. We demonstrated that a classic surgical embryo transfer method is possible under field conditions to obtain pregnancy in this species. We suggest further studies using glass pipettes, which allow a more precise embryo deposition. Future experiments will incorporate the transfer of frozen-thawed embryos on a larger scale.


2010 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 381-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. R. Burrough ◽  
K. D. DiVerde ◽  
O. Sahin ◽  
P. J. Plummer ◽  
Q. Zhang ◽  
...  

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2059
Author(s):  
Angela Edith Guerrero Pincay ◽  
Raúl Lorenzo González Marcillo ◽  
Walter Efraín Castro Guamàn ◽  
Nelson Rene Ortiz Naveda ◽  
Deyvis Angel Grefa Reascos ◽  
...  

A study was conducted at the Escuela Superior Politècnica de Chimborazo, Ecuador, to evaluate the influence of litter size of guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) on their development and to establish the economic profitability of the production system. Forty-eight animals were used, distributed into litters of two, three, and four rodents per litter, with a balanced diet and green fresh alfalfa for the weaning, growth, and fattening stage, the rodents and litters were randomly selected, applying the statistical model completely randomly and evaluating different variables across 120 days. The litters of three guinea pigs obtained the best productive responses and economic profitability. With respect to sex, the males presented better productive behavior, greater economic increase, and less cost, evidencing that mixed feeding influences the number of guinea pigs per birth in terms of growth and development. The results serve to improve guinea pig meat production for the rural population.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Weber ◽  
Théo Tacail ◽  
Federico Lugli ◽  
Marcus Clauss ◽  
Katrin Weber ◽  
...  

Strontium isotopes in biogenic apatite, especially enamel, are widely employed to determine provenance and track migration in palaeontology and archaeology. Body tissues record the 87Sr/86Sr of bioavailable Sr of ingested food and water. To identify non-local individuals, knowledge of the 87Sr/86Sr of a non-migratory population is required. However, varying factors such as tissue turnover rates, feeding selectivity, Sr content, digestibility of food, and the ingestion of mineral dust can influence body tissue 87Sr/86Sr. To evaluate the Sr contribution of diet and water to mammalian hard tissues 87Sr/86Sr, controlled feeding studies are necessary. Here we present 87Sr/86Sr from controlled feeding experiments with two rodent species (Rattus norvegicus, Cavia porcellus). Due to the continuous and fast incremental growth of rat and guinea pig incisors (~0.1 – 0.5 mm/day), their enamel is expected to record isotopic dietary changes. For Experiment-1: Diet Switch, animals were switched from their respective supplier food to a pelleted experimental diet containing either insect-, plant-, or meat-meal and a staggered-sampling approach was used to monitor the 87Sr/86Sr changes in rat incisor enamel and bone over the course of the experiment. In Experiment-2: Basic Diets, separated cohorts (n = 6) of rats and guinea pigs were fed one of the three pelleted diets and received tap water for 54 days. While the rat incisors showed a complete tissue turnover, the slower-growing guinea pig incisors partially retained supplier diet-related isotopic compositions. In addition, one group of rats fed plant-meal pellets received Sr-rich mineral water, demonstrating that drinking water can be an important Sr source in addition to diet. Additionally, a leaching experiment showed that only a small fraction of diet-related Sr is bioavailable. Finally, in Experiment-3: Dust Addition, guinea pigs were fed pellets with and without addition of 4% of isotopically distinct dust (loess or kaolin). Animals that received kaolin-containing pellets displayed increased enamel 87Sr/86Sr. Intra-population 87Sr/86Sr variability within each feeding group was small and thus we conclude that it should not affect interpretations of 87Sr/86Sr in provenance studies. However, the differences between bulk food and leachate 87Sr/86Sr highlight the importance of Sr bioavailability for provenance studies and Sr isoscapes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (20) ◽  
pp. 11018-11028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangelos Mourkas ◽  
Aidan J. Taylor ◽  
Guillaume Méric ◽  
Sion C. Bayliss ◽  
Ben Pascoe ◽  
...  

Modern agriculture has dramatically changed the distribution of animal species on Earth. Changes to host ecology have a major impact on the microbiota, potentially increasing the risk of zoonotic pathogens being transmitted to humans, but the impact of intensive livestock production on host-associated bacteria has rarely been studied. Here, we use large isolate collections and comparative genomics techniques, linked to phenotype studies, to understand the timescale and genomic adaptations associated with the proliferation of the most common food-born bacterial pathogen (Campylobacter jejuni) in the most prolific agricultural mammal (cattle). Our findings reveal the emergence of cattle specialist C. jejuni lineages from a background of host generalist strains that coincided with the dramatic rise in cattle numbers in the 20th century. Cattle adaptation was associated with horizontal gene transfer and significant gene gain and loss. This may be related to differences in host diet, anatomy, and physiology, leading to the proliferation of globally disseminated cattle specialists of major public health importance. This work highlights how genomic plasticity can allow important zoonotic pathogens to exploit altered niches in the face of anthropogenic change and provides information for mitigating some of the risks posed by modern agricultural systems.


2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
F. J. AL-Saffar

The present study aimed to investigate the morphological features of the pancreas and duodenum of theadult males and females guinea pigs. Eight animals of each sex were collected to conduct this project.The selected organs were photographed in situ and macro morphometric measurements were conductedon them. Gross findings revealed that the pancreas of guinea pig was of compact type, of two lobes (rightand left) connected by large central part (body). The organ drains the pancreatic secretion toward the lastpart of the ascending duodenum via minor pancreatic duct with absence of major pancreatic duct. Theduodenum of the guinea pig was very short and V-shaped. The beginning of the duodenum containsduodenal papilla in which found central orifice for the exit of bile secretions of the common bile duct. Inconclusions, the present findings showed the presence of only one minor pancreatic duct and such resultwas significantly different than most rodents by having major pancreatic duct. The duodenum in thestudied guinea pigs was characteristically very short and V-shaped differently to other animals that haveU-shaped and long duodenum.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 3241-3253
Author(s):  
Alain Serge Tatsinkou ◽  
Emile Miegoue ◽  
Marie Noëlle Bertine Noumbissi ◽  
Camara Sawa ◽  
Hervé Kuitche Mube ◽  
...  

The diversification of animal protein sources is a beneficial strategy to fill the protein deficit that all developing countries like Cameroon are facing. This work was initiated with the aim of increasing the productivity of guinea pigs through the use of avocado seed extracts. Four experimental rations (T0, T1, T2 and T3) were formulated with graded level of avocado seed extracts (0; 100 g; 200 g and 300 g of extracts per 100 kg of food respectively). Each treatment was tested on 15 females and 3 males divided into 3 subgroups. The results reveal that the mean weights of the animals were significantly the highest: at farrowing (87.00 g); at weaning (160.80 g) and at 8 weeks of age (234.40 g) were obtained with the T1 treatment. The significantly highest total gains (147.4 g) were obtained with the T1 treatment, the T3 treatment having given the lowest mean gain. In animals receiving T0 and T1 treatments, the level of lactobacilli was higher than the level of E. coli. The reverse was observed with T2 and T3 treatments. The use of avocado seed extracts can be considered at an incorporation rate of 100 g / 100 kg in guinea pigs feed. La diversification des sources de protéines animales est une stratégie salutaire pour combler le déficit protéique dont font face tous les pays en développement à l’instar du Cameroun. Ce travail a été initié dans l’optique d’accroître la productivité des cobayes à travers l’utilisation des extraits de noyaux d’avocat (ENA). Quatre rations expérimentales (T0, T1, T2 et T3) ont été formulées contenant respectivement 0 ; 100 g ; 200 g et 300 g de ENA pour 100 kg d’aliment. Chacune des rations a été testées sur 15 femelles et 3 mâles divisés en 3 sous-lots de 6 sujets chacun. Les résultats ont révélé que les poids moyens des animaux significativement les plus élevés : à la mise bas (87,00 g) ; au sevrage (160,80 g) et à 8 semaines d’âge (234,40 g) ont été obtenus avec les animaux recevant 100 g/100 kg d’extrait de noyau d’avocat (T1). Les gains totaux significativement les plus élevés (147,4 g) ont été obtenus avec le traitement T1, le traitement T3 ayant donné le gain moyen le plus bas. Chez les animaux recevant les traitements T0 et T1, le taux de lactobacilles a été supérieur au taux de colibacilles. L’inverse a été observé avec les traitements T2 et T3. L’utilisation des extraits des noyaux d’avocat peut être envisagée à un taux d’incorporation de 100g/100kg d’aliment chez le cobaye.


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