Changing dynamics of antibiotic resistant Escherichia in Caspian gulls shows the importance of longitudinal environmental studies

• Published in: Environment international 2024-04, Vol.186, p.108606-108606, Article 108606
• Main Authors: Nesporova, Kristina, Ruzickova, Michaela, Tarabai, Hassan, Krejci, Simon, Masarikova, Martina, Lausova, Jarmila, Literak, Ivan, Dolejska, Monika
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AMR in wild birds; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Charadriiformes - microbiology; Czech Republic; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Environmental persistence of AMR bacteria; Escherichia - drug effects; Escherichia - genetics; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli - isolation & purification; Longitudinal Studies; Successful Escherichia STs
• ISSN: 0160-4120; 1873-6750
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108606

[Display omitted] •Caspian gulls are involved in the circulation of the AMR Escherichia.•Closely related Escherichia strains were detected in countries frequented by gulls.•The prevalence of AMR can fluctuate in gulls and drop significantly in time.•Several Escherichia STs exhibited persistence within the gulls' colony in different years.•Clinically important traits may be not relevant for STs environmental persistence. This study is focused on Escherichia spp. isolates resistant to critically important antibiotics (cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin and colistin) among Caspian gull’s (Larus cachinnans) chicks nesting in the Nove Mlyny Water Reservoir, Czech Republic. The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria within wild birds is commonly evaluated using a single sampling event, capturing only a brief and momentary snapshot at a particular location. Therefore, the Caspian gulls in our study were sampled in May 2018 (n = 72) and May 2019 (n = 45), and a water sample was taken from the reservoir (2019). We obtained 197 isolates identified as E. coli by MALDI-TOF MS. A total of 158 representative isolates were whole-genome sequenced, 17 isolates were then reclassified to Escherichia albertii. We observed a higher (86 %; 62/72) occurrence of ESBL/AmpC-producing Escherichia spp. among gulls in 2018 compared to 38 % (17/45) in 2019 (p