Otter fecal enterococci as general indicators of antimicrobial resistance dissemination in aquatic environments
2018
Abstract
Antimicrobialresistance is an emerging worldwide concern, as the use of antibiotics is crucial for human and animal health protection. Evaluations of the
antimicrobialsusceptibility of enteric microbiota can be used as an indicator of resistance dispersion in the environment.
Commensalintestinal bacteria, such as Enterococcus spp., often act as reservoirs for
antimicrobialresistance determinants and may allow gene transfer to animal or human pathogens present in the same habitats, including contaminated water. As contact between wild animals and human and domestic animal populations is increasing, the potential for dissemination of resistant pathogens to wildlife can be considered an emerging problem. This study aimed to confirm the potential of the intestinal
commensalbacteria of
ottersas a model for assessing
antimicrobialresistance dissemination in the environment. We evaluated the presence of
antimicrobial-resistant enterococci in
spraintsfrom Eurasian and Neotropical
otters, collected in Portugal and Brazil during 2015 and 2016 in different climatic seasons. We isolated Enterococcus spp., and then determined their clonal diversity and
antimicrobialresistance profiles. The bacterial collection studied revealed high genomic diversity, ensuring its representativeness regarding the diversity of enterococci eliminated to the environment via
otter
spraints. Only one isolate, collected in Portugal, was susceptible to all the
antimicrobialcompounds tested, and the majority showed resistance to more than one antibiotic. We found high resistance levels to
clindamycinin isolates from
spraintscollected in both countries, representing a particular concern for human health, as
lincosamidesare frequently used in cases of therapeutic failure.
Antimicrobialresistance was higher in enterococci obtained from
otter
spraintscollected in Brazil. However, significant correlations between
antimicrobialresistance to individual compounds and country were only observed for
Enrofloxacinand Vancomycin, which may be due to
enrofloxacinuse in animal production near the sample areas, particularly in poultry and cattle farms. Our results confirm the potential for these microorganisms to be used as indicators for monitoring
antimicrobialresistance dissemination. These findings suggest that aquatic habitats occupied by
ottersmay act as reservoirs of
antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, the presence of which could impact human health through exposure to contaminated waters during fishing or recreational activities. Appropriate management and monitoring plans must be established to protect the environment and public health against the adverse effects of antibiotics, with this being particularly important in countries where antibiotics are increasingly being administered in veterinary settings.
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