TY - JOUR
T1 - Antimicrobial resistance genes in Andean foxes inhabiting anthropized landscapes in central Chile
AU - Cevidanes, Aitor
AU - Esperón, Fernando
AU - Di Cataldo, Sophia
AU - Neves, Elena
AU - Sallaberry-Pincheira, Nicole
AU - Millán, Javier
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded by FONDECYT 1161593 and “ Fondo para la iniciación a la investigación UNAB ”. This study was approved by the authorities in bioethics from the Universidad Andres Bello under authorization 08/2016. Capture permits were granted by the Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero (Resolutions n°: 1878-2016, 4469-2016, 3379-2017, 3380-2017, 8153-2017, 2655/2018, 4454/2018). We wish to thank Irene Sacristán, Claudia Ulloa, Carla Tagini, Nina Rygh and Andrea D. Chirife for field assistance; volunteers and veterinary staff of the Unidad de Rehabilitación de Fauna Silvestre UNAB/Buin Zoo and the Zoológico Nacional and Katherine Daza from the Wildlife Service of Servicio Agricola Ganadero for the collaboration in obtaining passive surveillance samples; Carlos José Tellería and Maximiliano Larraín of the Oficina Agricola de Colina and the owners of the estates were foxes were captured for allowing us to work on their property. Graphical abstract was created by Biorender.com .
Funding Information:
This study was funded by FONDECYT 1161593 and ?Fondo para la iniciaci?n a la investigaci?n UNAB?. This study was approved by the authorities in bioethics from the Universidad Andres Bello under authorization 08/2016. Capture permits were granted by the Servicio Agr?cola y Ganadero (Resolutions n?: 1878-2016, 4469-2016, 3379-2017, 3380-2017, 8153-2017, 2655/2018, 4454/2018). We wish to thank Irene Sacrist?n, Claudia Ulloa, Carla Tagini, Nina Rygh and Andrea D. Chirife for field assistance; volunteers and veterinary staff of the Unidad de Rehabilitaci?n de Fauna Silvestre UNAB/Buin Zoo and the Zool?gico Nacional and Katherine Daza from the Wildlife Service of Servicio Agricola Ganadero for the collaboration in obtaining passive surveillance samples; Carlos Jos? Teller?a and Maximiliano Larra?n of the Oficina Agricola de Colina and the owners of the estates were foxes were captured for allowing us to work on their property. Graphical abstract was created by Biorender.com.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2020/7/1
Y1 - 2020/7/1
N2 - Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is considered an emerging public health problem. Greater AMR development rate is associated with “antibiotic-using” environments. Wildlife thriving in anthropized landscapes could be good indicators of the burden of AMR and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in these areas. The aim of this study was to determine the presence and load of ARGs in fecal swabs of wild Andean foxes (Lycalopex culpaeus) from anthropized landscapes of central Chile. DNA was extracted from samples of 72 foxes; 22 ARGs encoding resistance against 8 antibiotic groups were evaluated using qPCR. Eighteen of the 22 ARGs were found and tet(Q) (65.3%; 15/72 of the samples) was the most common gene detected. Almost half of the foxes presented a ‘multiresistant microbiome’ (i.e. at least three ARG encoding resistance to different groups of antimicrobials). Prevalence of tet(Q) was higher in the cold-humid season than in the warm-dry season, but not for other genes. Up to 15 and 13 ARGs were detected in the fecal samples from two additional foxes that were kept 6 and 11 days, respectively, in a clinical environment (Wildlife Rescue Center) and received antibiotic treatment. Some of the ARGs detected (e.g. mecA and blaCTX-M) in the present study are of particular concern from the public health perspective. Wild foxes seem to be good sentinels for ARG environmental burden in highly anthropized environments of central Chile.
AB - Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is considered an emerging public health problem. Greater AMR development rate is associated with “antibiotic-using” environments. Wildlife thriving in anthropized landscapes could be good indicators of the burden of AMR and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in these areas. The aim of this study was to determine the presence and load of ARGs in fecal swabs of wild Andean foxes (Lycalopex culpaeus) from anthropized landscapes of central Chile. DNA was extracted from samples of 72 foxes; 22 ARGs encoding resistance against 8 antibiotic groups were evaluated using qPCR. Eighteen of the 22 ARGs were found and tet(Q) (65.3%; 15/72 of the samples) was the most common gene detected. Almost half of the foxes presented a ‘multiresistant microbiome’ (i.e. at least three ARG encoding resistance to different groups of antimicrobials). Prevalence of tet(Q) was higher in the cold-humid season than in the warm-dry season, but not for other genes. Up to 15 and 13 ARGs were detected in the fecal samples from two additional foxes that were kept 6 and 11 days, respectively, in a clinical environment (Wildlife Rescue Center) and received antibiotic treatment. Some of the ARGs detected (e.g. mecA and blaCTX-M) in the present study are of particular concern from the public health perspective. Wild foxes seem to be good sentinels for ARG environmental burden in highly anthropized environments of central Chile.
KW - Anthropized landscape
KW - Antibiotic resistance genes
KW - Culpeo fox
KW - Pseudalopex culpaeus
KW - Región Metropolitana
KW - South America
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85082873887&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138247
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138247
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85082873887
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 724
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
M1 - 138247
ER -
