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Effects of bacteria on avian hosts in the wild have received little attention until recently. Whereas the pathogenic effects of bacteria are well known, positive effects of symbiotic bacteria are more rarely considered. Nestling growth has important repercussions for offspring fitness in avian populations and may be affected by microbial colonization of the gut. Enterococcus faecalis is a common opportunistic pathogen, whereas E. faecium has been used as a growth promoter because it interacts competitively with pathogenic bacteria, E. faecalis included. We followed the growth in tarsus length and mass of 18 Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) broods. Chicks were weighed and measured on days 4, 8, 10, and 13 after hatching. On day 13, wing length was also measured and cloacal swabs were taken of two chicks in each brood for detection of enterococci. In all, the methods used allowed us to detect six species of bacteria among a possibly much richer community. Most chicks had E. faecalis, whereas E. faecium was less prevalent. There was a negative association between scores for E. faecalis and for the rest of the species pooled. The presence of E. faecalis showed no detectable association with nestling mass or size at any age, whereas the presence of the other species showed significantly positive associations with mass and size on day 13, but not before. Presence of E. faecium on its own was positively associated with nestling mass and size shortly before fledging. E. faecium may act as a growth promoter in the wild through its competitive interactions with facultative pathogenic bacteria. The presence of some microbes are critically important in avian growth and development.

We describe the first systemic infection by Weissella confusa in a mona monkey (Cercopithecus mona) on the basis of microbiologic, molecular genetic, and histologic data. The same strain of W. [...]

We report the first description, confirmed by bacteriologic and molecular (polymerase chain reaction and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis) analysis, of an infection in animals caused by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, affecting [...]

The first case of bovine tuberculosis in a free-living Iberian lynx (Lynx pardina) has been reported. The species is the most endangered feline one in the world. The lynx was from a national park. Mycobacterium bovis isolate correlates by molecular characterization with other isolates from wild ungulates of the park. An epidemiological link is strongly suggested., We report the first case of bovine tuberculosis in a free-living Iberian lynx (Lynx pardina), an extremely endangered feline, from Donana National Park in Spain. The isolate (Mycobacterium bovis) correlates [...]

The article discusses a study which examined the effect of nest reuse and skin bacteria on the growth of nestlings of Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca. The authors observed that nestlings raised in reused nest-boxes were found to have higher loads of bacteria on their belly skin compared with those raised in new nests. They noted a lack of difference between nest types for nest materials and control inert objects. They concluded that nest bacterial communities affected wing length before fledging and may depress feather growth on nestlings.

The article presents a study that examines the association of the common bacterial types such as enterococci and Enterobacteriaceae in the avian nestlings of Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca in central Spain. It explores the method of the study that obtains faecal samples from 54 broods on day seven and 13 after hatching to detect and estimate bacterial abundance. It outlines the result of the study, which indicates the correlation of Enterobacteriaceae loads with the mean temperature on day seven, however, they have negative link on day 13. Moreover, it indicates that Enterobacteriaceae are more sensitive to seasonal changes and climatic variation that enterococci.

The article presents a study on the correlation between eggshell bacterial loads and the early onset of incubation in a temperate-zone cavity-nesting passerine. The study uses statistical analyses and temperature sensors in eggs to measure early incubation, and the variation in eggshell's bacterial loads. Results show that incubation is more on days three to five, and thermal changes are associated with incubation and relevant to control bacterial proliferation.

During the spring and summer of 2001, faeces from 166 wild reptiles (94 individuals) and amphibians (72 individuals) from 21 different species found in central Spain were examined for the presence of Salmonella. Thirty-nine reptiles (41.5%) yielded 48 Salmonella isolates, whereas all the amphibians examined were negative. Subspecies Salmonella enterica enterica (I) accounted for up to 50% of isolates. Fourteen isolates (29.2%) belonged to subspecies diarizonae (IIIb), six isolates (12.5%) to subspecies salamae (II), and four isolates (8.3%) to subspecies arizonae (IIIa). Twenty-seven different serotypes were identified. Serotypes Anatum (12.5%), Herzliya (8.3%), Abony, 18:l,v:z, 9,12:z29:1,5 and 38:z10:z53 (6.2%/each) were the most frequently isolated. A high percentage (39.6%) of isolates belonged to serotypes previously associated with environmental sources. Also, 37.5% of isolates belonged to serotypes which had been related to human cases of salmonellosis. From these data, it is concluded that wild reptiles, but apparently not amphibians, may represent an important reservoir of Salmonella in nature and have potential implications for public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]