Antimicrobial Resistance Genes and Antimicrobial Resistant Pathogens in Wildlife

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2025) | Viewed by 1766

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wildlife is an important resource for the planet that should be preserved and protected. The One Health concept pays particular attention to wild animals as the principal inhabitants of the environment and an important point of contact between the environment, domestic animals and humans. Many studies have focused on zoonotic diseases, with wildlife serving as reservoir and source of infectious agents. Additionally, wild animals could carry, maintain and spread antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms, including both pathogens and commensal bacteria. Wild animals are not directly exposed to antimicrobials, but they could come in contact with antimicrobials or antimicrobial-resistant bacteria as a consequence of environmental contamination due to human activities and livestock breeding. Unlike infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance does not usually present a direct problem for wild animals, but they can play an important role in spreading resistant bacteria to humans and domestic animals, even over long distances. On the other hand, wildlife could serve as a “sentinel” of antimicrobial resistance trends in a particular ecosystem. The aim of this Special Issue is to collect articles reporting on recent data relating to the presence and diffusion of antimicrobial resistance genes, antimicrobial-resistant pathogens and commensal microorganisms in wildlife. Original research manuscripts reporting new results on this topic are preferred, but review articles are also welcome.

Dr. Fabrizio Bertelloni
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • bacteria
  • pathogens
  • commensal
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • antimicrobial resistance genes
  • wildlife

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 2370 KiB  
Article
Phenotypic and Genomic Characterization of ESBL- and AmpC-β-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacterales Isolates from Imported Healthy Reptiles
by Franziska Unger, Tobias Eisenberg, Ellen Prenger-Berninghoff, Ursula Leidner, Torsten Semmler and Christa Ewers
Antibiotics 2024, 13(12), 1230; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13121230 - 20 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1345
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Reptiles are known reservoirs for members of the Enterobacterales. We investigated antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns, the diversity of extended-spectrum-/AmpC-β-lactamases (ESBL/AmpC) genes and the genomic organization of the ESBL/AmpC producers. Methods: A total of 92 shipments with 184 feces, skin, and urinate [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Reptiles are known reservoirs for members of the Enterobacterales. We investigated antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns, the diversity of extended-spectrum-/AmpC-β-lactamases (ESBL/AmpC) genes and the genomic organization of the ESBL/AmpC producers. Methods: A total of 92 shipments with 184 feces, skin, and urinate samples of live healthy reptiles were obtained during border inspections at Europe’s most important airport for animal trade and screened for AMR bacteria by culture, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and whole genome sequencing (WGS) of selected isolates. Results: In total, 668 Enterobacterales isolates with phenotypic evidence for extended-spectrum-/AmpC-β-lactamases (ESBL/AmpC) were obtained, from which Klebsiella (n = 181), Citrobacter (n = 131), Escherichia coli (n = 116), Salmonella (n = 69), and Enterobacter (n = 52) represented the most common groups (other genera (n = 119)). Seventy-nine isolates grew also on cefotaxime agar and were confirmed as ESBL (n = 39) or AmpC (n = 39) producers based on WGS data with respective genes localized on chromosomes or plasmids. Isolates of E. coli contained the most diverse set of ESBL genes (n = 29), followed by Klebsiella (n = 9), Citrobacter, and Enterobacter (each n = 1). Contrarily, AmpC genes were detected in E. coli and Citrobacter (n = 13 each), followed by Enterobacter (n = 12) and Klebsiella (n = 4). Isolates of Salmonella with ESBL/AmpC genes were not found, but all genera contained a variety of additional AMR phenotypes and/or genotypes. MLST revealed 36, 13, 10, and nine different STs in E. coli, Klebsiella, Citrobacter, and Enterobacter, respectively. Conclusions: A significant fraction of the studied Enterobacterales isolates possessed acquired AMR genes, including some high-risk clones. All isolates were obtained from selective media and also wild-caught animals carried many AMR genes. Assignment of AMR to harvesting modes was not possible. Full article
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