title: VIM-1 carbapenemase-producingEscherichia coliin gulls from southern France.
abstract: Acquired carbapenemases currently pose one of the most worrying public health threats related to antimicrobial resistance. A NDM-1-producingSalmonellaCorvallis was reported in 2013 in a wild raptor. Further research was needed to understand the role of wild birds in the transmission of bacteria resistant to carbapenems. Our aim was to investigate the presence of carbapenem-resistantEscherichia coliin gulls from southern France. In 2012, we collected 158 cloacal swabs samples from two gull species: yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis)that live in close contact with humans and slender-billed gulls (Chroicocephalus genei) that feed at sea. We molecularly compared the carbapenem-resistant bacteria we isolated through culture on selective media with the carbapenem-susceptible strains sampled from both gull species and from stool samples of humans hospitalized in the study area. The genes coding for carbapenemases were tested by multiplex PCR. We isolated 22 carbapenem-resistantE. colistrains from yellow-legged gulls while none were isolated from slender-billed gulls. All carbapenem-resistant isolates were positive forblaVIM-1gene. VIM-1-producingE. coliwere closely related to carbapenem-susceptible strains isolated from the two gull species but also to human strains. Our results are alarming enough to make it urgently necessary to determine the contamination source of the bacteria we identified. More generally, our work highlights the need to develop more bridges between studies focusing on wildlife and humans in order to improve our knowledge of resistant bacteria transmission routes.
authors.affiliation: Centre de recherche de la Tour du Valat Arles France; MIVEGEC (Laboratoire Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs, Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle) UMR CNRS 5290/IRD 224 Université Montpellier Montpellier France.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8930-6051
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vittecoq
authors.affiliation: Département de Bactériologie-Virologie Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire (CHRU) de Montpellier Montpellier France.
authors.forename: Chrislène
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Laurens
authors.affiliation: MIVEGEC (Laboratoire Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs, Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle) UMR CNRS 5290/IRD 224 Université Montpellier Montpellier France.
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brazier
authors.affiliation: MIVEGEC (Laboratoire Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs, Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle) UMR CNRS 5290/IRD 224 Université Montpellier Montpellier France.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.affiliation: MIVEGEC (Laboratoire Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs, Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle) UMR CNRS 5290/IRD 224 Université Montpellier Montpellier France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Elguero
authors.affiliation: MIVEGEC (Laboratoire Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs, Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle) UMR CNRS 5290/IRD 224 Université Montpellier Montpellier France.
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arnal
authors.affiliation: MIVEGEC (Laboratoire Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs, Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle) UMR CNRS 5290/IRD 224 Université Montpellier Montpellier France.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Département de Bactériologie-Virologie Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire (CHRU) de Montpellier Montpellier France; Université Montpellier Montpellier France; INSERM U 1058 Infection by HIV and by agents with mucocutaneous tropism: from pathogenesis to prevention Montpellier France.
authors.forename: Salim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aberkane
authors.affiliation: MIVEGEC (Laboratoire Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs, Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle) UMR CNRS 5290/IRD 224 Université Montpellier Montpellier France.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Renaud
authors.affiliation: MIVEGEC (Laboratoire Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs, Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle) UMR CNRS 5290/IRD 224 Université Montpellier Montpellier France.
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Prugnolle
authors.affiliation: Université Montpellier Montpellier France; Department of Biopathology CHRU Montpellier France; Department of Clinical Oncoproteomic Montpellier Cancer Institute Montpellier France; UMR 5119 (UM, CNRS, IRD, IFREMER) Equipe Pathogènes et Environnements U.F.R. Pharmacie Montpellier France.
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Solassol
authors.affiliation: Département de Bactériologie-Virologie Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire (CHRU) de Montpellier Montpellier France; Université Montpellier Montpellier France; Department of Clinical Oncoproteomic Montpellier Cancer Institute Montpellier France; UMR 5119 (UM, CNRS, IRD, IFREMER) Equipe Pathogènes et Environnements U.F.R. Pharmacie Montpellier France.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jean-Pierre
authors.affiliation: Département de Bactériologie-Virologie Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire (CHRU) de Montpellier Montpellier France; Université Montpellier Montpellier France; INSERM U 1058 Infection by HIV and by agents with mucocutaneous tropism: from pathogenesis to prevention Montpellier France.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Godreuil
authors.affiliation: MIVEGEC (Laboratoire Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs, Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle) UMR CNRS 5290/IRD 224 Université Montpellier Montpellier France.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Renaud
keywords: Larus; antimicrobial resistance; enterobacteria; humans; molecular characterization; phylogenetic analyses; wild birds