Low rates of antimicrobial-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in wildlife in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, surrounded by villages with high prevalence of multiresistant ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in people and domestic animals

PLoS One. 2014 Dec 4;9(12):e113548. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113548. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance genes can be found in all ecosystems, including those where antibiotic selective pressure has never been exerted. We investigated resistance genes in a collection of faecal samples of wildlife (non-human primates, mice), people and domestic animals (dogs, cats) in Côte d'Ivoire; in the chimpanzee research area of Taï National Park (TNP) and adjacent villages. Single bacteria isolates were collected from antibiotic-containing agar plates and subjected to molecular analysis to detect Enterobacteriaceae isolates with plasmid-mediated genes of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR). While the prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli in the villages was 27% in people (n = 77) and 32% in dogs (n = 38), no ESBL-producer was found in wildlife of TNP (n = 75). PMQR genes, mainly represented by qnrS1, were also present in human- and dog-originating isolates from the villages (36% and 42% in people and dogs, respectively), but no qnrS has been found in the park. In TNP, different variants of qnrB were detected in Citrobacter freundii isolates originating non-human primates and mice. In conclusion, ESBL and PMQR genes frequently found in humans and domestic animals in the villages were rather exceptional in wildlife living in the protected area. Although people enter the park, the strict biosecurity levels they are obliged to follow probably impede transmission of bacteria between them and wildlife.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Domestic
  • Animals, Wild / microbiology
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Cats
  • Citrobacter freundii / genetics
  • Citrobacter freundii / isolation & purification
  • Cote d'Ivoire
  • Dogs
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial
  • Enterobacteriaceae / drug effects*
  • Enterobacteriaceae / genetics*
  • Enterobacteriaceae / isolation & purification
  • Enterobacteriaceae Infections / epidemiology
  • Enterobacteriaceae Infections / microbiology*
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • Escherichia coli / genetics*
  • Escherichia coli Infections / epidemiology
  • Escherichia coli Infections / microbiology*
  • Humans
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Plasmids / genetics
  • Plasmids / metabolism
  • Prevalence
  • Quinolones / pharmacology
  • beta-Lactamases / genetics
  • beta-Lactamases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Quinolones
  • beta-Lactamases

Grants and funding

This study was funded by the project ‘CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology’ (CZ.1.05/1.1.00/02.0068) from the European Regional Development Fund. MD and IP were supported by the Operational Programme “Education for Competitiveness” (CZ.1.07/2.3.00/30.0014) from the European Social Fund. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.