https://doi.org/10.1080/20008686.2018.1450590

ABSTRACT

Aims:Multiple antimicrobial resistance in Escherichiacoli of wild vertebrates is a global concern with scarce assessments on thesubject from developing countries that have high human-wild species interactions.We studied the ecology of E. coli in a wintering population of EgyptianVultures in India to understand temporal changes in both E. coli strainsand patterns of antimicrobial resistance.

Methodsand Results: We ribotyped E. colistrains and assessed antimicrobial resistance from wintering vultures at ahighly synanthropic carcass dump in north-west India. Both E. coliprevalence (90.32%) and resistance to multiple antimicrobials (71.43%) werevery high. Clear temporal patterns were apparent. Diversity of strains changedand homogenized at the end of the Vultures’ wintering period, while the resistancepattern showed significantly difference inter-annually, as well as betweenarrival and departing individuals within a wintering cycle.

Significance of study: The carcass dump environment altered both E. coli strains and multipleantimicrobial resistance in migratory Egyptian Vultures within a season. Long-distancemigratory species could therefore disseminate resistant E. coli strains acrossbroad geographical scales rendering regional mitigation strategies to controlmultiple antimicrobial resistance in bacteria ineffective.