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Salmonella is one of the most common and pathogenic bacteria worldwide, causing severe enteritis in humans and representing a relevant intestinal illness in One Health for young, old and immunosuppressed patients. Various Salmonella serovars have been described to be responsible for human Salmonellosis. Birds represent natural carriers of different zoonotic-relevant Salmonella serovars and Anseriformes can not only transmit Salmonella spp. to humans but also manifest clinical Salmonellosis. In this study, 138 scat samples (n = 138) of free-ranging Egyptian geese (EG; Alopochen aegyptiaca) were collected in Germany, including 83 scat samples from city parks, 30 samples from 14 public swimming pools and 25 fresh caecal samples of dead EG. Collected EG scat samples were examined for the presence of Salmonella spp. according either to the ISO 6579 (2017) norm or to a combination of bacterial pre-enrichment and specific PCR for detection of Salmonella DNA. All 138 analysed EG faecal samples resulted Salmonella-negative. Furthermore, the survival of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Anatum in spiked EG droppings was tested in four different concentrations of chlorinated pool water. In vitro testing demonstrated that S. Anatum-spiked EG droppings were still infectious for up to six hours in chlorinated pool water according to current German regulations for public swimming pools. This study is to be considered as a baseline investigation to clarify the role of synanthropic EG as natural carriers of zoonotic Salmonella in cities; nonetheless, large-scale epidemiological studies, including higher numbers of samples as well as more urban locations, are needed for final conclusions on the occurrence of this intestinal bacteria in neozootic EG. Full article

Hystrichis tricolor is a neglected avian enoplid nematode (superfamiliy Dioctophymatoidea) and known to parasitize various species of the Anatidae (Anas spp. and Mergus spp.) from the northern hemisphere, inducing mainly proventriculitis in domestic and wild waterfowl. Here, we focus on the pathological findings of naturally H. tricholor-infected Egyptian geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca) and a neozoan shelduck (Tandorninae) of Germany. Nowadays, this species is considered the fastest-spreading alien waterfowl species within Western Europe. Additionally, molecular sequencing coupled with phylogenetic characterization of H. tricolor is reported. Post mortem analyses unveiled patent gastric H. tricolor infections in eight of twelve infected birds (8/12; 66.7%), inducing proventriculitis resulting in large visible nodular lesions. Histopathological findings point to chronic host pro-inflammatory immune reactions. These results demonstrate the potential role of Egyptian geese as natural reservoir hosts of H. tricholor and highlight their possible role in parasite transmission (i.e., spillback) into endemic waterfowl species. Due to avian health concerns, the occurrence of hystrichiosis should be monitored in native waterfowl in the future, introducing appropriate management practices in conservation strategies of endemic wild birds not only in Germany but elsewhere in Europe. Full article

Various studies have shown that the transmission and passage of alien and native pathogens play a critical role in the establishment process of an invasive species and its further spread. Egyptian geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca) are neozotic birds on various continents. They live not only in the countryside near fresh water bodies but also in urban habitats in Central Europe with close contact to humans and their pets. Although their rapid distribution in Europe is widely debated, scientific studies on the anthropozoonotic risks of the population and studies on the present endoparasites in Egyptian geese are rare worldwide. In the present study, 114 shot Egyptian geese and 148 non-invasively collected faecal samples of wild Egyptian geese from 11 different Federal States in Germany were examined. A total of 13 metazoan endoparasite species in 12 different genera were identified. The main endoparasites found were Hystrichis tricolor, Polymorphus minutus, and, in lesser abundance, Cloacotaenia sp. and Echinuria uncinata. Adult stages of Echinostoma revolutum, an anthropozoonotic heteroxenic trematode, were found in 7.9% of the animals examined postmortem. This species was additionally identified by molecular analysis. Although Egyptian geese live in communities with native waterfowl, it appears that they have a lower parasitic load in general. The acquisition of generalistic parasites in an alien species and the associated increased risk of infection for native species is known as “spill-back” and raises the question of impacts on native waterfowl. Differences between animals from rural populations and urban populations were observed. The present study represents the first large-scale survey on gastrointestinal parasites of free-ranging Egyptian geese. Full article