Characteristics of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL)-Producing Escherichia coli Associated with Antimicrobial Use in captive wild animals
Keywords:
captive wildlife, CTX-M-15 genes, Escherichia coli, Thailand, zooAbstract
Antimicrobial agents are a cause of the increase in antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria. We investigated the prevalence and characteristics of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria in captive wild animals before and after exposure to antimicrobial agents. Sixty-six fecal samples were collected from captive animals (spotted deer, Rusa deer, geese, chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs) at the Mahasarakham University Mini Zoo in Thailand on three sampling occasions: October 2021, January 2022, and April 2022. Using MacConkey agar supplemented with cefotaxime, ESBL-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-Ec) was isolated and subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility tests and genetic analysis. The results showed a high prevalence of ESBL-Ec in the captive wild animals, with 86.4% of the samples tested positive. After deer were exposed to antimicrobials (i.e., oxytetracycline and streptomycin), the resistance rates of tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim were increased as the prevalence of ESBL-Ec was increasing. ESBL-Ec isolates from some captive animals were resistant to multiple drug classes over time. CTX-M subfamily ESBL genes were found in all isolates, with the CTX-M-1 group (i.e., CTX-M-15, CTX-M-55, and CTX-M-79 genes) being the most prevalent. In conclusion, this study found a high prevalence of ESBL-Ec in captive wild animals and observed variations in AMR profiles and ESBL gene distributions. The findings highlight the potential impacts of antimicrobial use on the emergence and spread of ESBL-producing bacteria in captive animal populations and emphasize the need for targeted interventions and management practices to mitigate this issue.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.