Occurrence and Quantification of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in the Gastrointestinal Microbiome of Two Wild Seabird Species With Contrasting Behaviors

Author(s)

Ewbank, Ana Carolina ^[1] ; Esperon, Fernando ^[2] ; Sacristan, Carlos ^[1] ; Sacristan, Irene ^[3] ; Neves, Elena ^[2] ; Costa-Silva, Samira ^[4] ; Antonelli, Marzia ^[4] ; Lorenco, Janaina Rocha ^[4] ; Kolesnikovas, Cristiane K. M. ^[4] ; Catao-Dias, Jose Luiz ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Vet Med & Anim Sci, Lab Wildlife Comparat Pathol, Dept Pathol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Anim Hlth Res Ctr INIA CISA, Grp Epidemiol & Environm Hlth, Madrid - Spain

^[3] Univ Andres Bello, Fac Ciencias Vida, Santiago - Chile

^[4] Assoc R3 Anim, Florianopolis, SC - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE; v. 8, MAR 22 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) are environmental pollutants and anthropization indicators. We evaluated human interference in the marine ecosystem through the ocurrence and quantification (real-time PCRs) of 21 plasmid-mediated ARGs in enema samples of 25 wild seabirds, upon admission into rehabilitation: kelp gull (Larus dominicanus, n = 14) and Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus, n = 11). Overall, higher resistance values were observed in kelp gulls (non-migratory coastal synanthropic) in comparison with Magellanic penguins (migratory pelagic non-synanthropic). There were significant differences between species (respectively, kelp gull and Magellanic penguin): ARGs occurrence (bla(TEM) {[}p = 0.032]; tetM {[}p = 0.015]; tetA {[}p = 0.003]; and sulII {[}p = 0.007]), mean number of ARGs per sample (p = 0.031), ARGs mean load percentage (aadA {[}p = 0.045], tetA {[}p = 0.031], tetM {[}p = 0.016], bla(TEM) {[}p = 0.032], sulII {[}p = 0.008]), percentage of genes conferring resistance to an antimicrobial class (betalactams {[}p = 0.036] and sulfonamides {[}p = 0.033]), mean number of genes conferring resistance to one or more antimicrobial classes (p = 0.024]), percentage of multiresistant microbiomes (p = 0.032), and clustering (p = 0.006). These differences are likely due to these species' contrasting biology and ecology - key factors in the epidemiology of ARGs in seabirds. Additionally, this is the first report of mecA in seabirds in the Americas. Further studies are necessary to clarify the occurrence and diversity of ARGs in seabirds, and their role as potential sources of infection and dispersal within the One Health chain of ARGs. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/20956-0 - Identification and quantification of antimicrobial resistance genes in the microbiome of seabirds from the Southern-Southeastern coast of Brazil
• Grantee: Ana Carolina Ewbank
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 18/25069-7 - Study and characterization of selected emerging viral agents and potentially associated with hepatopathies in coastal, pelagic and mixed habitat cetaceans in Brazil
• Grantee: Carlos Sacristan Yague
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral