Short running title:New ways of transmission of pathogenic
bacteria
Yang Yibin 1,2,3, Chen Yuhua4,5*, Liu Yongtao 1,2, Song Yi2, Ai Xiaohui 1,2 11Correspondence
Ai Xiaohui, Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese
Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan 430223, China. Email:
aixh@yfi.ac.cn.
Chen Yuhua, Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan
University, Wuhan 430227, China.
Email:510026437@qq.com*
1Yangtze
River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences,
Wuhan 430223, China
2The Key Laboratory for quality and safety
control of aquatic products, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100037,
China
3Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306,
China
4Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan
Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430227, China
5Hubei Clinical Center & Key Lab of Intestinal
& Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan 430227, China
Abstract: Hirudo nipponia is not only an important
economic pillar for farmers, but is also a precious raw material for
medicinal materials. However, in recent years, H. nipponiasuffered from diseases with symptoms including systemic edema and
hyperemia. It has not yet been demonstrated which pathogen causes this
disease and whether this could be transmitted to humans. In this study,Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated and identified from diseasedH. nipponia and the pathogenicity of the isolated strain was
confirmed. Furthermore, by comparing the sequence of the pathogen
isolated from leeches to the same pathogen infecting humans, we
identified that the isolated strain is a threat to human health. This
work emphasizes the importance of the first discovery of pathogenic
bacteria from leeches similar to human pathogens, as well as the need
for identifying comorbidities for both humans and aquatic animals.
Keywords: Hirudo nipponia ;Klebsiella
pneumoniae ;human disease;pathogenic bacteria