Antimicrobial resistance in Galapagos tortoises as an indicator of the growing human footprint

Nieto-Claudín, Ainoa; Deem, Sharon L.; Rodríguez, C.; Cano, Santiago; Moity, Nicolás; Cabrera, Freddy; Esperón, Fernando

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117453

Cited by 21 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 38 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In the coastal–terrestrial environment, antibiotic microbial‐resistant genes (ARGs) have already been detected in Galápagos tortoises species ( Chelonoidis spp. ), with a higher ARG prevalence in the species ( Chelonoidis porteri ) from Santa Cruz Island, which is the most heavily human‐populated, semiurbanized island, than the tortoise species ( Chelonoidis vandenburghi ) from Isabela Island, which is less affected by human impacts (Nieto‐Claudin, Deem, et al, 2021). Moreover, six novel viral sequences (two of adenoviruses and four of herpes viruses) were also recently identified in five species of Galápagos tortoises (Nieto‐Claudin, Esperón, et al, 2021), providing a further threat to the already challenged future of the giant tortoises' health and survival.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple anthropogenic stressors in the Galápagos Islands' complex social–ecological system: Interactions of marine pollution, fishing pressure, and climate change with management recommendations

Alava

McMullen

Jones

et al. 2022

Integr Envir Assess & Manag

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

For decades, multiple anthropogenic stressors have threatened the Galápagos Islands. Widespread marine pollution such as oil spills, persistent organic pollutants, metals, and ocean plastic pollution has been linked to concerning changes in the ecophysiology and health of Galápagos species. Simultaneously, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing are reshaping the composition and structure of endemic and native Galápagos pelagic communities. In this novel review, we discuss the impact of anthropogenic pollutants and their associated ecotoxicological implications for Galápagos species in the face of climate change stressors. We emphasize the importance of considering fishing pressure and marine pollution, in combination with climate-change impacts, when assessing the evolutionary fitness of species inhabiting the Galápagos. For example, the survival of endemic marine iguanas has been negatively affected by organic hydrocarbons introduced via oil spills, and endangered Galápagos sea lions exhibit detectable concentrations of DDT, triggering potential feminization effects and compromising the species' survival. During periods of ocean warming (El Niño events) when endemic species undergo nutritional stress, climate change may increase the vulnerability of these species to the impacts of pollutants, resulting in the species reaching its population tipping point. Marine plastics are emerging as a deleterious and widespread threat to endemic species. The Galápagos is treasured for its historical significance and its unparalleled living laboratory and display of evolutionary processes; however, this unique and iconic paradise will remain in jeopardy until multidisciplinary and comprehensive preventative management plans are put in place to mitigate and eliminate the effects of anthropogenic stressors facing the islands today. We present a critical analysis and synthesis of anthropogenic stressors with some progress from local and international institutional efforts and call to action more precautionary measures along with new management philosophies focused on understanding the processes of change through research to champion the conservation of the Galápagos.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple anthropogenic stressors in the Galápagos Islands' complex social–ecological system: Interactions of marine pollution, fishing pressure, and climate change with management recommendations

Alava

McMullen

Jones

et al. 2022

Integr Envir Assess & Manag

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Studies on findings of MDR bacteria in reptiles have increased in recent years. Among the reasons for conducting this kind of research were proofs for anthropogenic changes, including conservation issues, ecosystem health status, and environmental pollution [ 66 , 73 , 74 ]; veterinary aspects [ 75 , 76 ]; and possible zoonotic infections [ 40 ]. Most studies have been conducted to assess the health situation of reptiles in their ecosystems or when injured reptiles suffered from infection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Imported Pet Reptiles and Their “Blind Passengers”—In-Depth Characterization of 80 Acinetobacter Species Isolates

Unger

Eisenberg²,

Prenger‐Berninghoff

et al. 2022

Microorganisms

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Reptiles are popular pet animals and important food sources, but the trade of this vertebrate class is—besides welfare and conservation—under debate due to zoonotic microbiota. Ninety-two shipments of live reptiles were sampled during border inspections at Europe’s most relevant transshipment point for the live animal trade. Acinetobacter spp. represented one significant fraction of potentially MDR bacteria that were further analyzed following non-selective isolation or selective enrichment from feces, urinate, or skin samples. Taxonomic positions of respective isolates were confirmed by MALDI-TOF MS and whole-genome sequencing analysis (GBDP, dDDH, ANIb, and rMLST). The majority of the 80 isolates represented established species; however, a proportion of potentially novel taxa was found. Antimicrobial properties and genome-resistance gene screening revealed novel and existing resistance mechanisms. Acinetobacter spp. strains were most often resistant to 6–10 substance groups (n = 63) in vitro. Resistance to fluorchinolones (n = 4) and colistin (n = 7), but not to carbapenems, was noted, and novel oxacillinase variants (n = 39) were detected among other genes. Phylogenetic analysis (MLST) assigned few isolates to the known STs (25, 46, 49, 220, and 249) and to a number of novel STs. No correlation was found to indicate that MDR Acinetobacter spp. in reptiles were associated with harvesting mode, e.g., captive-bred, wild-caught, or farmed in natural ecosystems. The community of Acinetobacter spp. in healthy reptiles turned out to be highly variable, with many isolates displaying a MDR phenotype or genotype.

show abstract

“…Similar results have been observed in wildlife from isolated areas [ 55 ] including Galapagos land iguanas from Santa Fe Island [ 12 ], Antarctic penguins [ 56 ], and marine-feeding gulls from remote Alaska [ 57 ] where no or limited carriage of antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been identified. A recent comparison of the abundance of 21 ARGs of the seven drug classes in Galapagos-giant tortoise’s fecal DNA revealed significant differences in the abundance of ARGs present in animals from Santa Cruz (the most populated island in the archipelago) as compared to animals from a remote area of the Isabela island [ 58 ]; that study highlights the importance of human activities in the levels of resistance as well as the role of giant tortoises as ARG spreaders into the environment. Wheeler et.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of the gut microbiome and resistome of Galapagos marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) from uninhabited islands

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Understanding the natural microbiome and resistome of wildlife from remote places is necessary to monitor the human footprint on the environment including antimicrobial use (AU). Marine iguanas are endemic species from the Galapagos Islands where they are highly affected by anthropogenic factors that can alter their microbiota as well as their abundance and diversity of antimicrobial-resistant genes (ARGs). Thus, this study aims to apply culture-independent approaches to characterize the marine iguana’s gut metagenomic composition of samples collected from the uninhabited islands Rabida (n = 8) and Fernandina (Cabo Douglas, n = 30; Punta Espinoza, n = 30). Fresh feces from marine iguanas were analyzed through SmartChip RT-PCR, 16S rRNA, and metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) to identify their microbiome, microbial-metabolic pathways, resistome, mobilome, and virulome. Results The marine iguana’s gut microbiome composition was highly conserved despite differences in ecological niches, where 86% of taxa were shared in the three locations. However, site-specific differences were mainly identified in resistome, mobilome, virulorome, and metabolic pathway composition, highlighting the existence of factors that induce microbial adaptations in each location. Functional gut microbiome analyses revealed its role in the biosynthesis and degradation of vitamins, cofactors, proteinogenic amino acids, carbohydrates, nucleosides and nucleotides, fatty acids, lipids, and other compounds necessary for the marine iguanas. The overall bacterial ARG abundance was relatively low (0.006%); nevertheless, the presence of genes encoding resistance to 22 drug classes was identified in the iguana’s gut metagenome. ARG-carrying contig and co-occurrence network analyses revealed that commensal bacteria are the main hosts of ARGs. Taxa of public health interest such as Salmonella, Vibrio, and Klebsiella also carried multidrug-resistance genes associated with MGEs which can influence the dissemination of ARGs through horizontal gene transfer. Conclusion Marine iguanas depend on the gut microbiome for the biosynthesis and degradation of several compounds through a symbiotic relationship. Niche-specific adaptations were evidenced in the pool of microbial accessory genes (i.e., ARGs, MGEs, and virulence) and metabolic pathways, but not in the microbiome composition. Culture-independent approaches outlined the presence of a diverse resistome composition in the Galapagos marine iguanas from remote islands. The presence of AR pathogens in marine iguanas raises concerns about the dispersion of microbial-resistant threats in pristine areas, highlighting wildlife as sentinel species to identify the impact of AU.

show abstract

Antimicrobial resistance in Galapagos tortoises as an indicator of the growing human footprint

Cited by 21 publications

References 38 publications

Multiple anthropogenic stressors in the Galápagos Islands' complex social–ecological system: Interactions of marine pollution, fishing pressure, and climate change with management recommendations

Multiple anthropogenic stressors in the Galápagos Islands' complex social–ecological system: Interactions of marine pollution, fishing pressure, and climate change with management recommendations

Imported Pet Reptiles and Their “Blind Passengers”—In-Depth Characterization of 80 Acinetobacter Species Isolates

Characterization of the gut microbiome and resistome of Galapagos marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) from uninhabited islands

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About