Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an important issue for public, animal and environmental health. It has been suggested that livestock farms could be a source origin of AMR, and some wild animals that inhabit this area may play an important role in the spread of AMR in the natural environment. The prevalence of AMR in Escherichia coli was examined from Okinawa rails (Gallirallus okinawae), an endemic bird in Okinawa Main Island, Japan. Forty‐eight faecal samples of wild Okinawa rails were collected from around a livestock farm area (LA), near human settlements, in which a population of the Okinawa rail had newly inhabited for feeding, and a forest area (FA), their natural habitat. Among 16 E. coli‐positive faecal samples collected around LA, 11/16 (69%) showed antimicrobial resistance and five multiple drug resistance patterns were identified. However, among 15 E. coli‐positive faecal samples from FA, 3/15 (20%) showed antimicrobial resistance, and three multiple drug resistance patterns were identified. These results indicate that the endangered Okinawa rail may also play an important role as a potential vector for the spread of AMR in the natural environment. To maintain ecological health, it is imperative that in situ/ex situ conservation projects that include translocation plans for endangered species are aware of these data.
Highlights
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an important issue for public, animal and environ‐ mental health
The Okinawa rail mitochondrial ATP6 gene was successfully amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 81% (48/59) of faecal sam‐ ples. Of these 48 samples, 22 samples were collected from livestock farm area (LA) and 26 samples collected from forest area (FA)
Among the 22 faecal samples collected around LA, E. coli was isolated from 16 (73%) and 11 (69%) of 16 samples showed antimicrobial resistance
Summary
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an important issue for public, animal and environ‐ mental health. It has been suggested that livestock farms could be a source origin of AMR, and some wild animals that inhabit this area may play an important role in the spread of AMR in the natural environment. Among 16 E. coli‐positive faecal samples collected around LA, 11/16 (69%) showed antimicrobial resistance and five multiple drug resistance pat‐ terns were identified. Among 15 E. coli‐positive faecal samples from FA, 3/15 (20%) showed antimicrobial resistance, and three multiple drug resistance pat‐ terns were identified. These results indicate that the endangered Okinawa rail may play an important role as a potential vector for the spread of AMR in the natural environment. It is imperative that in situ/ex situ con‐ servation projects that include translocation plans for endangered species are aware of these data
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