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Occurrence of virulence genes in multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli isolates from Iberian wolves (Canis lupus signatus) in Portugal

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Abstract

While much evidence supports the view that the total consumption of antimicrobials is the critical factor in selecting resistance, the possibility of resistant isolates and/or genes encoding resistance being transferred among different living communities has raised serious concerns. In the present study, Escherichia coli isolates recovered from faecal samples (n = 34) of Iberian wolves (Canis lupus signatus) were characterized for their antimicrobial drug susceptibility. Nearly two thirds of the isolates carried resistance to one or more antimicrobial drugs (in a panel of 19 antibiotics), and resistance to tetracycline, ampicillin and streptomycin was most widespread. By screening a set of 20 multidrug-resistant E. coli for virulence genes, we found strains positive for cdt, chuA, cvaC, eaeA, paa and bfpA, which was the most common virulence trait. Phylogenetic analyses have shown that the majority of these E. coli strains fall into phylogenetic groups A and B1. In this study, the diversity of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing strains was expressed by both polymorphism of the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns and the presence of various resistance and virulence genes profiles. Finding the specific implications of these multi-resistant bacteria (hosting several virulence factors) in wolf conservation is a challenging topic to be addressed in further investigations.

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Acknowledgements

Faecal samples from wolves were collected and genetically analysed during research projects funded by VentoMinho-Energias Renováveis, S.A. and ACHLI—Associação de conservação do habitat do lobo-ibérico. We thank M. Nakamura, D. Cadete, S. Pinto, A. Pedro and N. Santos for helping in sample collection and R. Godinho and D. Castro for the genetic identification of faecal samples. Wolves were captured under legal permits issued by ICNB/Ministry of Environment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICBAS—Abel Salazar Institute for the Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Romeu Simões, Carla Ferreira, José Gonçalves & Paulo Martins da Costa

  2. CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Center for Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    José Gonçalves & Paulo Martins da Costa

  3. Instituto de Ciências Agrárias de Vairão, CIBIO—Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal

    Francisco Álvares

  4. VERANDA—Associação para a Conservação e Divulgação do Património de Montanha, Castro Laboreiro, Portugal

    Helena Rio-Maior

  5. GRUPO LOBO—Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal

    Sara Roque

  6. CERVAS—Wild Animal Ecology, Rehabilitation and Surveillance Center, Gouveia, Portugal

    Ricardo Brandão

  7. Departamento de Produção Aquática, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Largo Professor Abel Salazar, 2., 4099-003, Porto, Portugal

    Paulo Martins da Costa

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  1. Romeu Simões
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  2. Carla Ferreira
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  3. José Gonçalves
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  4. Francisco Álvares
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  5. Helena Rio-Maior
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  6. Sara Roque
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  7. Ricardo Brandão
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  8. Paulo Martins da Costa
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Correspondence to Paulo Martins da Costa.

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Communicated by C. Gortázar

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Simões, R., Ferreira, C., Gonçalves, J. et al. Occurrence of virulence genes in multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli isolates from Iberian wolves (Canis lupus signatus) in Portugal. Eur J Wildl Res 58, 677–684 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-012-0616-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-012-0616-4

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