Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the resistance patterns against selected critically and highly important antibiotics (quinupristin/dalfopristin, vancomycin, and linezolid) in 48 Enterococcus isolates obtained from wild (red deer and Apennine chamois) and domestic (cattle, sheep, and goats) ruminants living with varying degrees of sympatry in the protected area of Maiella National Park (central Italy). According to CLSI breakpoints, 9 out of 48 isolates (18.8%) showed resistance to at least one antibiotic. One Apennine chamois isolate was resistant to all tested antibiotics. The PCR screening of related resistance genes highlighted the occurrence of msrC or cfrD in seven Enterococcus resistant isolates. In addition, msrC and vanC genes were amplified in susceptible isolates. Specific sequences of virulence genes (gelE, ace, efa, asa1, and esp) related to pathogenic enterococci in humans were amplified in 21/48 isolates (43.75%), belonging mostly to wild animals (15/21; 71.42%). This is the first report of linezolid-resistant enterococci harboring virulence genes in Italian wildlife with special regard to the red deer and Apennine chamois species. The results allow us to evaluate the potential role of wild animals as indicators of antibiotic resistance in environments with different levels of anthropic pressure.
Highlights
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant public health threat related to many factors, including the overuse or misuse of antibiotics in veterinary and human medicine
The monitoring of environmental sources that are potentially able to harbor resistant bacteria and their relative genetic elements, including pathogens hard to treat with currently available antibiotics, is considered relevant for AMR surveillance inspired by a “One Health” approach [13]
The aim of this study was to investigate the AMR against quinupristin/dalfopristin, vancomycin, and linezolid in Enterococcus spp. isolates from wild and domestic ungulates living in Maiella National Park (Central Italy) with varying levels of sympatry established using georeferencing data
Summary
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant public health threat related to many factors, including the overuse or misuse of antibiotics in veterinary and human medicine. Enterococci are considered responsible for several animal diseases, such as mastitis, endocarditis, diarrhea, and septicemia in bovine, pets, pigs, and poultry [3] The pathogenicity of these bacteria is related to antibiotic resistance mechanisms and virulence factors that promote colonization in host cells and damage of tissues by means of protein and peptides [4]. Wildlife is generally less or not at all treated with antimicrobials but may acquire resistant bacteria from the environment [14], especially where a co-existence of domestic animals, livestock, agriculture, and other human activities is widely established In this regard, the aim of this study was to investigate the AMR against quinupristin/dalfopristin, vancomycin, and linezolid in Enterococcus spp. isolates from wild and domestic ungulates living in Maiella National Park (Central Italy) with varying levels of sympatry established using georeferencing data. In order to evaluate the potential pathogenicity of microorganisms under study, specific virulence genes were investigated
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