Serpulina pilosicoli was isolated from 8 of 43 (19%) faecal
specimens obtained from feral
waterbirds sampled around a small lake at Perth Zoological Gardens, Western
Australia, and
from 3 of 7 (43%) samples of the lake water. The organism was only isolated
from 1 of 204
(0·5%) samples from captive birds and animals in the zoological
collection. Multilocus enzyme
electrophoresis analysis of the isolates showed that they were
genetically diverse, and none had
identical electrophoretic profiles as those previously obtained from human
beings, dogs, pigs
and other avian species. To determine the survival time of
S. pilosicoli in water, cells of strain
1648 were seeded into lake and tap water, and incubated at 4, 25 and 37°C.
The organism
could be recultured from lake water for up to 66 days at
4°C, and for 4 days at 25°C. A
healthy human volunteer who drank water seeded with S. pilosicoli
strain Wes B became
colonized, and developed abdominal discomfort and headaches. Contamination
of water by
faeces may represent a source of S. pilosicoli infection for both
humans and animals.