title: Azorean wild rabbits as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistant Escherichia coli.
abstract: Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is an increasing problem that is not only constrained to the clinical setting but also to other environments that can lodge antibiotic resistant bacteria and therefore they may serve as reservoirs of genetic determinants of antibiotic resistance. One hundred and thirty-six faecal samples from European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus) were collected on São Jorge Island in Azores Archipelago, and analysed for Escherichia coli isolates. Seventy-seven isolates (56.6%) were recovered and studied for antimicrobial resistance, one isolate per positive sample. Thirteen (16.9%), 19 (24.7%), 25 (32.4%) and 20 (26%) isolates were ascribed to A, B1, B2 and D phylogenetic groups, respectively, by specific primer polymerase chain reaction. Different E. coli isolates were found to be resistant to ampicillin (16.9%), tetracycline (1.3%), streptomycin (42.9%), sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (1.3%), amikacin (1.3%), tobramycin (2.6%) and nalidixic acid (1.3%). Additionally, the blaTEM, tetA, strA/strB, aadA, sul1, intI, intI2 and qacEΔ+sul1 genes were found in most resistant isolates. This study showed that E. coli from the intestinal tract of wild rabbits from Azores Archipelago are resistant to widely prescribed antibiotics in medicine and they constitute a reservoir of antimicrobial resistant genes, which may play a significant role in the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, antibiotic resistant E. coli from Azorean wild rabbits may represent an ecological and public health problem.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre of Genomics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal; Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal; Centre of Studies of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal; Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marinho
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre of Genomics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal; Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Igrejas
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre of Genomics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal; Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal; Centre of Studies of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal; Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Centre of Studies of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre of Genomics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal; Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal; Centre of Studies of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal; Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Tiago
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre of Genomics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal; Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal; Centre of Studies of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal; Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.affiliation: CIBIO, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources of the University of Porto, R. Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Biology Department, Sciences Faculty, University of Porto, Rua Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: CIBIO, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources of the University of Porto, R. Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal.
authors.forename: Tiago
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Centre of Studies of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal; Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal. Electronic address: ppoeta@utad.pt.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poeta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001394:Azores; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005838:Genotype; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Antibiotic resistance; Escherichia coli; Wild rabbit