Occurrence and Antimicrobial Resistance Traits of Escherichia coli from Wild Birds and Rodents in Singapore

Kar Hui Ong, Wei Ching Khor, Jing Yi Quek, Zi Xi Low, Sathish Arivalan, Mahathir Humaidi, Cliff Chua, Kelyn L. G. Seow, Siyao Guo, Moon Y. F. Tay, Joergen Schlundt, Lee Ching Ng and Kyaw Thu Aung
Additional contact information
Kar Hui Ong: Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore 138667, Singapore
Wei Ching Khor: National Centre for Food Science, Singapore Food Agency, Singapore 608550, Singapore
Jing Yi Quek: Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore 138667, Singapore
Zi Xi Low: Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore 138667, Singapore
Sathish Arivalan: Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore 138667, Singapore
Mahathir Humaidi: Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore 138667, Singapore
Cliff Chua: Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore 138667, Singapore
Kelyn L. G. Seow: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637459, Singapore
Siyao Guo: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637459, Singapore
Moon Y. F. Tay: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637459, Singapore
Joergen Schlundt: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637459, Singapore
Lee Ching Ng: Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore 138667, Singapore
Kyaw Thu Aung: Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore 138667, Singapore

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-17

Abstract: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) poses a public health concern worldwide. Wild birds and rodents, due to their mobility, are potential vehicles for transmission of AMR bacteria to humans. Ninety-six wild birds’ faecal samples and 135 rodents’ droppings samples were collected and analysed in 2017. Forty-six E. coli isolates from wild birds and rodents were subjected to AMR phenotypic and genotypic characterisation. The proportion of E. coli isolates resistant to at least one of the antimicrobials tested from wild birds (80.8%) was significantly higher than that of isolates from rodents (40.0%). The proportion of E. coli isolates resistant to each antimicrobial class for wild birds was 3.8% to 73.1% and that for rodents was 5.0% to 35.0%. Six out of 26 E. coli isolates from wild birds (23.1%) and two out of 20 (10.0%) isolates from rodents were multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains. These MDR E. coli isolates were detected with various antimicrobial resistance genes such as bla TEM-1B and qnrS1 and could be considered as part of the environmental resistome. Findings in this study suggested that wild birds and rodents could play a role in disseminating antimicrobial resistant E. coli , and this underscores the necessity of environment management and close monitoring on AMR bacteria in wild birds and rodents to prevent spreading of resistant organisms to other wildlife animals and humans.

Keywords: Escherichia coli ( E. coli ); wild birds; rodents; multi-drug resistant (MDR); resistance genes; antimicrobial susceptibility testing; whole genome sequencing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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