Aims: Laribacter hongkongensis is well adapted to diverse freshwater environments and is associated with human community-acquired gastroenteritis and traveller's diarrhoea. The study intended to investigate whether L. hongkongensis could be detected in Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta, a widespread aquatic bird) in Hangzhou, China.
Methods and results: A total of 176 faecal specimens from three habitats in Hangzhou were obtained for this study. L. hongkongensis was isolated from 12 (6·8%) specimens. Identification of the 12 L. hongkongensis isolates was achieved through a combination of phenotypic characterization and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis.
Conclusions: The results illustrate that L. hongkongensis is present in the faeces of Little Egrets from three different habitats in Hangzhou, China.
Significance and impact of the study: This study suggests the possibility that Little Egrets serve as mechanical carriers of L. hongkongensis, thus potentially transmitting the organism between bodies of water.
© 2011 The Authors. Letters in Applied Microbiology © 2011 The Society for Applied Microbiology.