Abstract
Management strategies associated with captive breeding of endangered species can establish opportunities for transfer of pathogens and genetic elements between human and animal microbiomes. The class 1 integron is a mobile genetic element associated with clinical antibiotic resistance in gram-negative bacteria. We examined the gut microbiota of endangered brush-tail rock wallabies Petrogale penicillata to determine if they carried class 1 integrons. No integrons were detected in 65 animals from five wild populations. In contrast, class 1 integrons were detected in 48% of fecal samples from captive wallabies. The integrons contained diverse cassette arrays that encoded resistance to streptomycin, spectinomycin, and trimethoprim. Evidence suggested that captive wallabies had acquired typical class 1 integrons on a number of independent occasions, and had done so in the absence of strong selection afforded by antibiotic therapy. Sufficient numbers of bacteria containing diverse class 1 integrons must have been present in the general environment occupied by the wallabies to account for this acquisition. The captive wallabies have now been released, in an attempt to bolster wild populations of the species. Consequently, they can potentially spread resistance integrons into wild wallabies and into new environments. This finding highlights the potential for genes and pathogens from human sources to be acquired during captive breeding and to be unwittingly spread to other populations.
Highlights
Wildlife conservation strategies can present unrecognized threats
The presence of the class 1 integron-integrase gene, intI1, in fecal samples was determined by PCR screening with primers HS464/ HS463a
48% of samples from captive rock wallabies (14/29) generated strong, single bands consistent with the expected size of 473 bp for intI1. Sequencing of these PCR products confirmed their identity as intI1 and that the intI1 sequence was identical to those found in class 1 integrons from human clinical isolates
Summary
Captive breeding creates an atypical interface between humans, domestic animals and wildlife that potentially leads to exchange of microorganisms between these host groups. The translocation of animals between endangered populations removes barriers between previously isolated groups, allowing spread of pathogens that are novel for these groups, leading to emergence of new diseases. Actions taken during endangered species recovery programs can pose a significant risk for the transmission of disease. Despite this risk, translocation of wildlife regularly occurs with limited or no disease screening. Guidelines exist for minimizing disease transfer during translocation of wildlife [1], but only 24% of 700 translocations in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and USA incorporated a disease screening protocol [1]
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