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In recent years, there have been increasing ecological and global concerns associated to Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs). Thus, the relevance of wild mammals as biomonitors has been globally recognised. In the present study, Cd, Pb, Hg, Zn and As concentrations were quantified in European hedgehog and badger inhabiting SW Europe, and cumulative trends in relation to age and sex were evaluated. Liver and kidney samples were collected, mineralised and PTE content was determined by ICP-MS. Zn was the most abundant element quantified in both organs (239 and 89.8 mg kg-1 for hedgehogs and 179 and 164 mg kg-1 dw for badgers). In hedgehogs, very high Hg concentration were quantified (4.35 and 15.5 mg kg-1 dw in liver and kidney), and Cd was the most abundant for badgers (4.70 and 7.61 mg kg-1 dw in liver and kidney). Positive correlations were observed for the concentrations of PTE in the organs of both species. Age-dependence increased only Cd concentration, with levels in adult kidneys being significantly higher. In this study, European hedgehog and badger were used as biomonitors for the determination of PTEs to provide current reference values in relatively non-polluted areas of SW Europe, and to enhance the use of these species for future ecotoxicological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Metal and metalloid concentrations in wild mammals from SW Europe: European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) and badger (Meles meles)" published in Environmental Science & Pollution Research. The correction states that the correct family name of the 4th author is Míguez-Santiyán. The original article has been corrected. The publisher, Springer Nature, remains neutral regarding jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. The authors of the article are Javier García-Muñoz, Nunzio Antonio Cacciola, Federico Plazzi, María Prado Míguez-Santiyán, Francisco Soler Rodríguez, Ana López-Beceiro, Luis Eusebio Fidalgo, Salomé Martínez-Morcillo, and Marcos Pérez-López. [Extracted from the article]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Metal and metalloid concentrations in wild mammals from SW Europe: European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) and badger (Meles meles)" published in the journal Environmental Science & Pollution Research. The correction addresses a missing acknowledgment text in the published proof. The original article has been corrected. The publisher, Springer Nature, maintains a neutral stance on jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. The authors of the article are Javier García‑Muñoz, Nunzio Antonio Cacciola, Federico Plazzi, María Prado Míguez‑Santiyán, Francisco Soler Rodríguez, Ana López‑Beceiro, Luis Eusebio Fidalgo, Salomé Martínez‑Morcillo, and Marcos Pérez‑López. [Extracted from the article]

The objectives of this study were to investigate the presence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains in wildlife that have spread in Europe, living near human settlements; to analyze their epidemiological role in maintenance and transmission to domestic livestock; and to assess the potential health risk of wildlife-carried strains. STEC strains were recovered from 53% of roe deer, 8.4% of wild boars, and 1.9% of foxes sampled in the northwest of Spain (Galicia). Of the 40 serotypes identified, 21 were classified as seropathotypes associated with human disease, accounting for 81.5% of the wildlife-carried STEC strains, including the enterohemorrhagic serotypes O157:H7-D-eae-β1, O26:[H11]-B1-eae-β1, O121:H19-B1-eae-ϵ1, and O145:[H28]-D-eae-γ1. None of the wildlife-carried strains belonged to the highly pathogenic serotype O104:H4-B1 from the recent Germany outbreak. Forty percent of wildlife-carried STEC strains shared serotypes, phylogroups, intimin types, and Stx profiles with isolates from human patients from the same geographic area. Furthermore, wildlife-carried strains belonging to serotypes O5:HNM-A, O26:[H11]-B1, O76:H19-B1, O145:[H28]-D, O146:H21-B1, and O157:H7-D showed pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profiles with >85% similarity to human-pathogenic STEC strains. We also found a high level of similarity among STEC strains of serotypes O5:HNM-A, O26:[H11]-B1, and O145:HNM-D of bovine (feces and beef) and wildlife origins. Interestingly, O146:H21-B1, the second most frequently detected serotype in this study, is commonly associated with human diarrhea and isolated from beef and vegetables sold in Galicia. Importantly, at least 3 STEC isolates from foxes (O5:HNM-A-eae-β1, O98:[H21]-B1-eae-ζ1, and O146:[H21]-B1) showed characteristics similar to those of human STEC strains. In conclusion, roe deer, wild boar, and fox in Galicia are confirmed to be carriers of STEC strains potentially pathogenic for humans and seem to play an important role in the maintenance of STEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae continues to be challenging. The success of this pathogen is favored by its ability to acquire antimicrobial resistance and to spread and persist in both the environment and in humans. The emergence of clinically important clones, such as sequence types 11, 15, 101, and 258, has been reported worldwide. However, the mechanisms promoting the dissemination of such high-risk clones are unknown. Unraveling the factors that play a role in the pathobiology and epidemicity of K. pneumoniae is therefore important for managing infections. To address this issue, we studied a carbapenem-resistant ST-15 K. pneumoniae isolate (Kp3380) that displayed a remarkable adherent phenotype with abundant pilus-like structures. Genome sequencing enabled us to identify a chaperone-usher pili system (Kpi) in Kp3380. Analysis of a large K. pneumoniae population from 32 European countries showed that the Kpi system is associated with the ST-15 clone. Phylogenetic analysis of the operon revealed that Kpi belongs to the little-characterized γ 2 -fimbrial clade. We demonstrate that Kpi contributes positively to the ability of K. pneumoniae to form biofilms and adhere to different host tissues. Moreover, the in vivo intestinal colonizing capacity of the Kpi-defective mutant was significantly reduced, as was its ability to infect Galleria mellonella The findings provide information about the pathobiology and epidemicity of Kpi + K. pneumoniae and indicate that the presence of Kpi may explain the success of the ST-15 clone. Disrupting bacterial adherence to the intestinal surface could potentially target gastrointestinal colonization., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest., (Copyright © 2020 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.)