PLoS One. 2016 Nov 9;11(11):e0165303. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165303. eCollection 2016.
Bondo KJ1,
Pearl DL2,
Janecko N2,3,4,
Boerlin P1,
Reid-Smith RJ1,2,3,
Parmley J1,3,5,
Jardine CM1,5.
- 1Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
- 2Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
- 3Centre for Foodborne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
- 4Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic.
- 5Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract
Antimicrobial
resistance is a global threat to livestock, human and environmental
health. Although resistant bacteria have been detected in wildlife,
their role in the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance is not clear.
Our objective was to investigate demographic, temporal and climatic
factors associated with carriage of antimicrobial resistant Escherichia
coli in
raccoons
and the environment. We collected samples from raccoon paws and feces
and from soil, manure pit and dumpsters on five swine farms and five
conservation areas in Ontario,
Canada
once every five weeks from May to November, 2011-2013 and tested them
for E. coli and susceptibility to 15 antimicrobials. Of samples testing
positive for E. coli, resistance to ≥ 1 antimicrobials was detected in
7.4% (77/1044; 95% CI, 5.9-9.1) of raccoon fecal samples, 6.3% (23/365;
95% CI, 4.0-9.3) of paw samples, 9.6% (121/1260; 8.0-11.4) of soil
samples, 57.4% (31/54; 95% CI, 43.2-70.8) of manure pit samples, and
13.8% (4/29; 95% CI, 3.9-31.7) of dumpster samples. Using univariable
logistic regression, there was no significant difference in the
occurrence of resistant E. coli in raccoon feces on conservation areas
versus farms; however, E. coli isolates resistant to ≥ 1 antimicrobials
were significantly less likely to be detected from raccoon paw samples
on swine farms than conservation areas and significantly more likely to
be detected in soil samples from swine farms than conservation areas.
Resistant phenotypes and genotypes that were absent from the swine farm
environment were detected in
raccoons
from conservation areas, suggesting that conservation areas and swine
farms may have different exposures to resistant bacteria. However, the
similar resistance patterns and genes in E. coli from raccoon fecal and
environmental samples from the same location types suggest that
resistant bacteria may be exchanged between
raccoons
