High prevalence of blaCTX ‐M‐15 type extended‐spectrum beta‐lactamases in Gambian hooded vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus): A threatened species with substantial human interaction

In this study, we found that hooded vulture has a high prevalence of ESBL-producing bacteria. Based on these data, hooded vultures as top predators may function as a bioindicator for the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB). Furthermore, this study highlights how vultures are exposed to anthropogenic impact, not only posing a threat to the birds but also serving as vectors for further dissemination of ARB in the environment and transmission to humans. AbstractOne hundred fecal samples from hooded vultures in the Gambia (Banjul area) were investigated for the presence of bacteria with extended-spectrum cephalosporin- (ESBL/AmpC), carbapenemases, and colistin resistance. No Enterobacteriales carrying carbapenemases or resistance against colistin were detected. Fifty-four ESBL-producingEscherichia coli and five ESBL-producingKlebsiella pneumoniae isolates were identified in 52 of the samples, of which 52E. coli and 4K. pneumoniae yielded passed sequencing results. Fifty of theE. coli had ESBL phenotype and genotype harboringblaCTX-M genes, of which 88.5% (n = 46) were theblaCTX-M-15 gene, commonly found on the African continent. Furthermore, the genetic context aroundblaCTX-M-15 was similar between isolates, being colocalized with ISKpn19. In contrast, cgMLST analysis of theE. coli harboring ESBL genes revealed a genetic distribution over a large fraction of the currently known existingE. coli populations in the Gambia. Hooded vultures in the Gambia thus have a hi...
Source: MicrobiologyOpen - Category: Microbiology Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research