A Decade-Long Commitment to Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance in Portugal

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a worldwide problem with serious health and economic repercussions. Since the 1940s, underuse, overuse, and misuse of antibiotics have had a significant environmental downside. Large amounts of antibiotics not fully metabolized after use in human and veterinary medicine, and other applications, are annually released into the environment. The result has been the development and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria due to many years of selective pressure. Surveillance of AMR provides important information that helps in monitoring and understanding how resistance mechanisms develop and disseminate within different environments. Surveillance data is needed to inform clinical therapy decisions, to guide policy proposals, and to assess the impact of action plans to fight AMR. The Functional Genomics and Proteomics Unit, based at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro in Vila Real, Portugal, has recently completed 10 years of research surveying AMR in bacteria, mainly commensal indicator bacteria such as enterococci and Escherichia coli from the microbiota of different animals. Samples from more than 75 different sources have been accessed, from humans to food-producing animals, pets, and wild animals. The typical microbiological workflow involved phenotypic studies followed by molecular approaches. Throughout the decade, 4,017 samples were collected and over 5,000 bacterial isolates obtained. High levels of AMR to several antimicrobial classes have been reported, including to β-lactams, glycopeptides, tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, sulphonamides, and quinolones. Multi-resistant strains, some relevant to human and veterinary medicine like extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing E. coli and vancomycin-resistant enterococci, have been repeatedly isolated even in non-synanthropic animal species. Of particular relevance are reports of AMR bacteria in wildlife from natural reserves and endangered species. Future work awaits as this threatening yet unsolved problem persists.GRAPHICAL ABSTRACTSummary diagram of the antimicrobial resistance surveillance work developed by the UTAD Functional Genomics and Proteomics Unit.

Poultry hatcheries as potential reservoirs for antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli: A risk to public health and food safety

“…Colonies exhibiting indole, methyl-red, and catalase tests as positive, Voges–Proskauer and citrate tests as negative, and fermenting glucose and lactose sugars, were confirmed as E . coli isolates 44 . Colonies showing positive results were further identified by using the API 20E test (bioMérieux Clinical Diagnostics, Marcy l’Étoile, France).…”

Occurrence and Antimicrobial Resistance Traits of Escherichia coli from Wild Birds and Rodents in Singapore

“…Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) is a commensal bacterium found in the guts of animals [ 1 , 2 ]. It can be pathogenic and cause gastroenteritis, bacteraemia and urinary tract infections [ 2 , 3 , 4 ].…”

“…Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) is a commensal bacterium found in the guts of animals [ 1 , 2 ]. It can be pathogenic and cause gastroenteritis, bacteraemia and urinary tract infections [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. The bacterium is known to be susceptible to selection pressure [ 2 ] and has the high competency to pick up and transfer antibiotic resistance genes to and from other bacterial strains [ 2 , 5 ].…”

Molecular diversity of Extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase‐producing Escherichia coli from vultures in Canary Islands

“…Regarding this situation, different studies have been done in order to understand the mechanisms of bacterial drug resistance in pets and humans (Puño‐Sarmiento et al ., 2013; Leite‐Martins et al ., 2014; Marinho et al ., 2016; Chung et al ., 2017; Derakhshandeh et al ., 2018; Sato et al ., 2018). Wild birds are also potential reservoirs of resistant bacteria and have the potential to transmit antibiotic resistance, including clinically important resistance genes.…”