Antimicrobial susceptibility profile of enterobacteria isolated from wild grey-breasted parakeets (Pyrrhura griseipectus)

Abstract

The grey-breasted parakeet (Pyrrhura griseipectus) is an endangered psittacine species that have been affected by illegal trade and deforestation. Currently, this endemic species is only found in three areas in Ceará state, in Brazil. This study aimed to investigate the frequency and diversity of Enterobacteriaceae in wild adult grey-breasted parakeets and determine their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. Cloacal swab samples were collected from 27 individuals and environmental swabs (drag swabs) from five nests used by these birds. Twenty-seven strains from nine species of Enterobacteriaceae were recovered from cloacal swabs, and the most prevalent bacteria strains were Hafnia alvei (22%) and Pantoea agglomerans (22%). From environmental nest samples, seven strains from three bacterial species were isolated, being the P. agglomerans the most frequent species (100%). Twenty-two of the 27 isolates (81.4%) exhibited antibiotic resistance, varying from one to eight of the 12 antimicrobials commonly used. Resistance to amoxicillin was the most prevalent (70.4%), followed by azithromycin (22.2%) and ceftriaxone (18.5%). None of the strains were resistant to gentamicin, tobramycin, ciprofloxacin or tetracycline. The H. alvei was the main species presenting multidrug resistance, including resistance against meropenem, which is an important finding. These results could provide interesting information on the health of these endangered wild grey-breasted parakeets. They could also indicate that the obtained isolates are part of a group of bacteria that are typical components of the enteric microbiota of birds, which present elevated rates of resistance to amoxicillin.

Wild birds as reservoirs of multidrug-resistant enterobacteria in Mulungu, Brazil

“…Despite the isolation of fourteen different species of bacteria, birds were not necessarily suffering from any pathological condition. In addition to the low frequency of isolation, some of these microorganisms may occur naturally in these birds, considering that these strains have been isolated previously from healthy birds either in the wild or in cages [40,41,42,43,44,45,30]. Species of the Enterobacteriaceae family, Escherichia coli in particular, do not belong to the intestinal microbiota of granivorous pet birds, because feed composed exclusively of seeds has been shown to provoke an inhibitory effect of this bacterial species [46].…”

“…The rate of resistance to meropenem detected in free-living birds in this research should also be highlighted (14.5%). Several studies involving wild birds, free-living or not, as well as domestic birds, present lower rates of resistance to this drug or none at all [82,83,30,84,85]. However, a more relevant point is the fact that this drug is a high cost carbapenemic with restricted use to hospitals in Brazil.…”

“…However, it is not so simple to obtain a proper comparison of data from other studies, since there are few published articles specifically involving free-living birds and isolates of enterobacteria in general from cloacal swabs. One of these studies involves Gray-breasted Parakeets (Pyrrhura griseipectus), whose total bacterial isolates presented a lower multidrug resistance rate (11.1%) [30]. Concerning Escherichia coli, it is possible to observe that the results in relation to multidrug resistance are the most varied.…”

“…Anthropogenic effects on wildlife are poorly investigated, and the extent to which animal populations contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance is still unknown. Therefore, considering that there are few studies investigating the contact that free-living birds have with multidrug-resistant enterobacteria in the Ceará State, which are generally limited to a few species, greater elucidation is needed [28,29,15,30].…”

Wild Birds as Reservoirs of Multidrug-Resistant Enterobacteria in Mulungu, Brazil

“…Anthropogenic effects on wildlife are not well understood, and the degree to which animal populations contribute to the dissemination of antibiotic resistance remains unclear. Therefore, given the limited number of studies examining the interaction between freeranging birds and multidrug-resistant enterobacteria in Ceará State, which are typically restricted to a few species, further investigation is warranted (Beleza et al, 2021;Ramey et al, 2021).…”