AMR in humans, dogs, and wild armadillos in Southern Brazil
ESBL-E. coli are a major public health concern in humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, yet their circulation at the human–animal–environment interface remains poorly understood. This study estimated the prevalence and genomic characteristics of ESBL-E. coli among humans, dogs, and wild armadillos sharing habitats in the Pantanal and Cerrado biomes of Mato Grosso do Sul, southern Brazil. A total of 374 samples were analyzed, including samples from 191 dogs, 39 humans, and 144 armadillos. ESBL-E. coli isolates were recovered from six samples (1.6%), including one human and five dogs. No ESBL-E. coli was detected among wild armadillos. The six ESBL-E. coli isolates belonged to five distinct sequence types (STs): the high-risk extraintestinal pathogenic clone ST131 (recovered from both a human and a dog), the globally disseminated lineages ST744, ST10, ST457, and ST2380. ESBL-encoding ß-lactamase genes detected included blaCTX-M-8, blaCTX-M-27 (unusually carried by the ST131 isolates), blaCTX-M-55, blaCTX-M-65, and blaCTX-M-124. Four isolates harbored virulence genes associated with enteroaggregative and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, while uropathogenic and high-pathogenicity island-associated genes were identified in three isolates. Our findings indicate a low prevalence of ESBL-E. coli fecal carriage at this human–domestic animal–wildlife interface. Nevertheless, potentially pathogenic lineages such as ST131 and ST10 may persist at low levels and require surveillance to avoid their expansion under favorable conditions, including across wildlife such as armadillos with currently undetected levels of these bacteria but increasing contact with human-populated areas.
ESBL-E. coli are a major public health concern in humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, yet their circulation at the human–animal–environment interface remains poorly understood. This study estimated the prevalence and genomic characteristics of ESBL-E. coli among humans, dogs, and wild armadillos sharing habitats in the Pantanal and Cerrado biomes of Mato Grosso do Sul, southern Brazil. A total of 374 samples were analyzed, including samples from 191 dogs, 39 humans, and 144 armadillos. ESBL-E. coli isolates were recovered from six samples (1.6%), including one human and five dogs. No ESBL-E. coli was detected among wild armadillos. The six ESBL-E. coli isolates belonged to five distinct sequence types (STs): the high-risk extraintestinal pathogenic clone ST131 (recovered from both a human and a dog), the globally disseminated lineages ST744, ST10, ST457, and ST2380. ESBL-encoding ß-lactamase genes detected included blaCTX-M-8, blaCTX-M-27 (unusually carried by the ST131 isolates), blaCTX-M-55, blaCTX-M-65, and blaCTX-M-124. Four isolates harbored virulence genes associated with enteroaggregative and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, while uropathogenic and high-pathogenicity island-associated genes were identified in three isolates. Our findings indicate a low prevalence of ESBL-E. coli fecal carriage at this human–domestic animal–wildlife interface. Nevertheless, potentially pathogenic lineages such as ST131 and ST10 may persist at low levels and require surveillance to avoid their expansion under favorable conditions, including across wildlife such as armadillos with currently undetected levels of these bacteria but increasing contact with human-populated areas.