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Molecular Characterization of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli from Fecal Samples of Wild Animals
by
, , , , , , , , and
Carolina Sabença
1,2,3,4
,
Mario Romero-Rivera
5
,
Raquel Barbero-Herranz
5,
Roberto Sargo
6,
Luís Sousa
6,
Filipe Silva
6
,
Filipa Lopes
7,
Ana Carolina Abrantes
8,
Madalena Vieira-Pinto
8,9,10
,
Carmen Torres
11
,
Gilberto Igrejas
2,3,4
,
Rosa del Campo
5,12,13
and
Patrícia Poeta
1,4,8,9,10,*
1
MicroART-Antibiotic Resistance Team, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
2
Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
3
Functional Genomics and Proteomics Unit, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
4
Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry, University NOVA of Lisbon, 1099-085 Caparica, Portugal
5
Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
6
CRAS—Center for the Recovery of Wild Animals, Veterinary Hospital, University of Trás os Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
7
LxCRAS—Centro de Recuperação de Animais Silvestres de Lisboa, 1500-068 Lisboa, Portugal
8
CECAV—Veterinary and Animal Research Centre, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
9
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
10
Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Science (AL4AnimalS), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
11
Area of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, OneHealth-UR Research Group, University of La Rioja, 26006 Logroño, Spain
12
Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28040 Madrid, Spain
13
Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio, 28691 Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Vet. Sci. 2024, 11(10), 469; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11100469
Submission received: 4 September 2024
/
Revised: 23 September 2024
/
Accepted: 30 September 2024
/
Published: 1 October 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Veterinary Microbiology, Parasitology and Immunology)
Simple Summary
The present work primarily focuses on the monitoring of antimicrobial resistance from fecal Escherichia coli from wildlife, an important environmental task due to the spread of resistant bacteria. In total, 128 E. coli isolates recovered from 66 wild animals were analyzed. Their resistance was tested against 17 antibiotics. An approximate percentage of 22.1% of the animals was found to carry multidrug-resistant E. coli, and 0.93% carried strains producing extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL). The highest resistance was observed against ampicillin; all of the isolates were susceptible to amikacin and carbapenems. Therefore, such findings bring concerns about the dissemination of resistant bacteria among wildlife and any further impacts on public health.
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance in fecal Escherichia coli isolates from wildlife is crucial for monitoring the spread of this microorganism in the environment and for developing effective AMR control strategies. Wildlife can act as carriers of AMR bacteria and spread them to other wildlife, domestic animals, and humans; thus, they have public health implications. A total of 128 Escherichia coli isolates were obtained from 66 of 217 fecal samples obtained from different wild animals using media without antibiotic supplementation. Antibiograms were performed for 17 antibiotics to determine the phenotypic resistance profile in these isolates. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production was tested using the double-disc synergy test, and 29 E. coli strains were selected for whole genome sequencing. In total, 22.1% of the wild animals tested carried multidrug-resistant E. coli isolates, and 0.93% (2/217) of these wild animals carried E. coli isolates with ESBL-encoding genes (blaCTX-M-65, blaCTX-M-55, and blaEC-1982). The E. coli isolates showed the highest resistance rates to ampicillin and were fully susceptible to amikacin, meropenem, ertapenem, and imipenem. Multiple resistance and virulence genes were detected, as well as different plasmids. The relatively high frequency of multidrug-resistant E. coli isolates in wildlife, with some of them being ESBL producers, raises some concern regarding the potential transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria among these animals. Gaining insights into antibiotic resistance patterns in wildlife can be vital in shaping conservation initiatives and developing effective strategies for responsible antibiotic use.
Keywords:
wildlife; Escherichia coli; MDR; ESBL; whole genome sequencing
