title: Dissemination of antibiotic resistant Enterococcus spp. and Escherichia coli from wild birds of Azores Archipelago.
abstract: Antibiotic-resistant is profoundly important to human and animal health, but the environmental reservoirs of resistance determinants are poorly understood, in particular in wild environments in remote Archipelagos. Moreover, the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wild bird populations is rather unknown. In the present study, we used the Azores Islands as a model study for antimicrobial resistance in a remote Archipelago, and examined the antibiotic resistance profile in enterococci and Escherichia coli recovered from faecal samples of wild birds collected in this Archipelago. A total of 138 enterococci and 115 E. coli isolates were analyzed for resistance to antimicrobial agents. Of the enterococcal isolates, Enterococcus faecalis was the most prevalent detected species (59 isolates), followed by Enterococcus faecium (40 isolates), Enterococcus durans (27 isolates) and Enterococcus hirae (12 isolates). The enterococci strains showed high percentages of resistance to tetracycline (32.6%), to ciprofloxacin (19.6%) and to erythromycin (11.6%). Lower level of resistance (<10%) was detected for ampicillin, chloramphenicol and teicoplanin. One vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis isolate was detected and harbored the vanA resistant gene. Resistance genes detected included tet(M) and/or tet(L), ermB in all tetracycline and erythromycin-resistant isolates. Resistance in E. coli isolates was detected for ampicillin, tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, streptomycin, and tobramycin. The blaTEM, aadA, aadA5, strA, strB, tet(A) and/or tet(B), and the intI genes were found in all ampicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim-resistant isolates respectively. The data shown in this study are essential to improve knowledge about the dissemination of resistant strains through wild birds from remote archipelagos such as the Azores Archipelago and the possible implications involved in transferring these resistances either to other animals or to humans.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre of Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal; Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Tiago
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Igrejas
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Micael
authors.forename: Tiago
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Resendes
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marinho
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poeta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001394:Azores; D001717:Birds; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Antimicrobial resistance; Azores Archipelago; Enterococci; Escherichia coli; Wild birds