Assessment of Antibiotic Resistance Among Isolates of <i>Klebsiella</i> spp. and <i>Raoultella</i> spp. in Wildlife and Their Environment from Portugal: A Positive Epidemiologic Outcome
Carolina Sabença,
Rani de la Rivière,
Paulo Barros,
João Alexandre Cabral,
Roberto Sargo,
Luís Sousa,
Maria de Lurdes Enes Dapkevicius,
Filipe Silva,
Filipa Lopes,
Ana Carolina Abrantes,
Madalena Vieira-Pinto,
Manuela Caniça,
Gilberto Igrejas,
Carmen Torres,
Patrícia Poeta
Affiliations
Carolina Sabença
MicroART-Antibiotic Resistance Team, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Rani de la Rivière
National Reference Laboratory of Antibiotic Resistances and Healthcare Associated Infections, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal
Paulo Barros
Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
João Alexandre Cabral
Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Roberto Sargo
CRAS-Center for the Recovery of Wild Animals, Veterinary Hospital, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Luís Sousa
CRAS-Center for the Recovery of Wild Animals, Veterinary Hospital, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Maria de Lurdes Enes Dapkevicius
Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of the Azores, 9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
Filipe Silva
CRAS-Center for the Recovery of Wild Animals, Veterinary Hospital, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Filipa Lopes
CERAS, Wildlife Study and Rehabilitation Centre, Quercus ANCN, Rua Tenente Valadim 19, 6000-284 Castelo Branco, Portugal
Ana Carolina Abrantes
CECAV, Veterinary and Animal Research Centre, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Madalena Vieira-Pinto
CECAV, Veterinary and Animal Research Centre, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Manuela Caniça
National Reference Laboratory of Antibiotic Resistances and Healthcare Associated Infections, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal
Gilberto Igrejas
Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Carmen Torres
Area of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, OneHealth-UR Research Group, University of La Rioja, 26006 Logroño, Spain
Patrícia Poeta
MicroART-Antibiotic Resistance Team, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
One of the significant challenges facing modern medicine is the rising rate of antibiotic resistance, which impacts public health, animal health, and environmental preservation. Evaluating antibiotic resistance in wildlife and their environments is crucial, as it offers essential insights into the dynamics of resistance patterns and promotes strategies for monitoring, prevention, and intervention. Klebsiella and Raoultella genera isolates were recovered from fecal samples of wild animals and environmental samples using media without antibiotic supplementation. Antibiograms were performed for 15 antibiotics to determine the phenotypic resistance profile in these isolates. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production was tested by the double-disc synergy test, and one ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae isolate was screened by PCR and whole-genome sequencing. Biofilm production was analyzed using the microtiter plate method. A total of 23 Klebsiella spp. and 3 Raoultella spp. isolates were obtained from 312 fecal samples from wild animals, 9 Klebsiella spp. and 4 Raoultella spp. isolates were obtained from 18 river and stream water samples, and 4 Klebsiella spp. and 3 Raoultella spp. isolates from 48 soil samples. Regarding antibiotic resistance, only one isolate of K. pneumoniae from soil samples was an ESBL-producer and showed resistance to six antibiotics. This isolate harbored multiple β-lactams genes (blaCTX-M-15, blaTEM-1, blaSHV-28, and blaOXA-1), as well as genes of resistance to quinolones, sulfonamides, tetracycline, aminoglycosides, and chloramphenicol, and belonged to the lineage ST307. Most of the Klebsiella spp. and Raoultella spp. isolates were biofilm producers (except for one Klebsiella isolate), and 45.6% were weak biofilm producers, with the remaining being moderate to strong biofilm producers. We can conclude that antibiotic resistance is not widespread in these environment-associated isolates, which is a positive epidemiological outcome. However, identifying a single ESBL-K. pneumoniae isolate should serve as a warning of potential hotspots of resistance emergence.
