Dissemination of multidrug resistant bacteria to the polar environment - Role of the longest migratory bird Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea)

Abstract

The ever-increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria(ARB), primarily due to the frequent use and misuse of antibiotics, is an issue of serious global concern. Migratory birds have a significant role in dissemination of ARB, as they acquire resistant bacteria from reservoirs and transport them to other environments which are relatively less influenced by anthropogenically. We have investigated the prevalence of ARB in a long-distance migratory bird, the Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) captured from the Svalbard Archipelago. The birds were tagged with geolocators to track their extraordinary long migration, and the cloacal samples were collected before the migration and after the migration by recapturing the same birds. The tracking of 12 birds revealed that during the annual cycle they underwent a total of 166 stopovers (11–18, mean = 3.8) and recovery points along the Atlantic Ocean. Twelve major bacterial genera were identified from Arctic tern cloacal samples, which are dominated by Staphylococcus spp. and Aerococcus spp. The bacterial isolates showed resistance against 16 antibiotics (before migration) and 17 antibiotics (after migration) out of 17 antibiotics tested. Resistance to β-lactam and quinolone class of antibiotics were frequent among the bacteria. The study highlights the potential role of Arctic tern in the dissemination of multidrug resistant bacteria across far and wide destinations, especially to the polar environments.