Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli in common vampire bats Desmodus rotundus and livestock in Peru.

J A Benavides,J Solassol,S Godreuil,A Appelgren,M Virhuez,D G Streicker,C Tello,J Vendrell,C Shiva

doi:10.1111/zph.12456

Abstract

SummaryAntibiotic resistance mediated by bacterial production of extended‐spectrum beta‐lactamase (ESBL) is a global threat to public health. ESBL resistance is most commonly hospital‐acquired; however, infections acquired outside of hospital settings have raised concerns over the role of livestock and wildlife in the zoonotic spread of ESBL‐producing bacteria. Only limited data are available on the circulation of ESBL‐producing bacteria in animals. Here, we report ESBL‐producing Escherichia coli in wild common vampire bats Desmodus rotundus and livestock near Lima, Peru. Molecular analyses revealed that most of this resistance resulted from the expression of bla CTX‐M‐15 genes carried by plasmids, which are disseminating worldwide in hospital settings and have also been observed in healthy children of Peru. Multilocus sequence typing showed a diverse pool of E. coli strains carrying this resistance that were not always host species‐specific, suggesting sharing of strains between species or infection from a common source. This study shows widespread ESBL resistance in wild and domestic animals, supporting animal communities as a potential source of resistance. Future work is needed to elucidate the role of bats in the dissemination of antibiotic‐resistant strains of public health importance and to understand the origin of the observed resistance.

Highlights

Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria are responsible for hundreds of thousands of fatalities annually (World HealthOrganization, 2014)
The majority of this problem is attributed to the spread of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)- producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia (World Health Organization, 2014)
Supporting this hypothesis, extended-spectrum beta- lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli have been found in several wild animals in Europe (Guenther et al, 2011); relatively few studies have been carried out on wild animals in low-income countries (Carrillo-Del Valle et al, 2016; Cristóbal-Azkarate, Dunn, Day, & Amábile-Cuevas, 2014; Guenther et al, 2011; Hasan et al, 2016; Liakopoulos et al, 2016), where the consequences of ESBL resistance can be exacerbated by a higher number of bacterial infections and more limited access to health facilities providing appropriate antibiotic treatment (Sosa et al, 2010)

Summary

Introduction

Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria are responsible for hundreds of thousands of fatalities annually (World HealthOrganization, 2014). |2 infections acquired outside of hospital settings (i.e., community- acquired infections) have suggested that livestock and wildlife may form a zoonotic reservoir of ESBL for people living in close contact with animals (Guenther, Ewers, & Wieler, 2011) Supporting this hypothesis, ESBL-producing E. coli have been found in several wild animals in Europe (Guenther et al, 2011); relatively few studies have been carried out on wild animals in low-income countries (Carrillo-Del Valle et al, 2016; Cristóbal-Azkarate, Dunn, Day, & Amábile-Cuevas, 2014; Guenther et al, 2011; Hasan et al, 2016; Liakopoulos et al, 2016), where the consequences of ESBL resistance can be exacerbated by a higher number of bacterial infections and more limited access to health facilities providing appropriate antibiotic treatment (Sosa et al, 2010). Several recent studies have begun to characterize the diversity of pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria in vampire bats (Adesiyun, Stewart-Johnson, & Thompson, 2009; Bai et al, 2012; Carrillo-Araujo et al, 2015; Chaverri, 2006; Zetun, Hoffmann, Silva, Souza, & Langoni, 2009), no study has evaluated this species for ESBL-producing bacteria or investigated bacterial sharing with their livestock prey

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