Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Wildlife and their Spread, Focus on the Mediterranean Basin

Abstract

Overuse of antibiotics in hospitals, animal husbandry and agriculture significantly contributed to the onset of antibiotic resistance. The subsequent spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic-resistant genes contributed to aggravating the problem. An important contributor to the spread of antibiotic resistance is wildlife, which is ubiquitous and can move easily, thus contributing to the global spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes. The first antibiotic-resistant bacteria isolated from wildlife were strains of Escherichia coli obtained from pigeons and crows, with resistance to chloramphenicol and multi-resistance, carrying conjugative R plasmids. The same strains of Salmonella spp. resistant to tetracyclines and strains of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have been isolated from both wildlife, livestock and humans, suggesting the presence of a common mechanism of spread. The Mediterranean basin is important for the richness and uniqueness of its wildlife. The latter represents a mechanism for spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistant genes. This mini-review focuses on antibiotic resistance in wildlife in the Mediterranean basin, including the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria belonging to the priority list of pathogenicity.