TY - JOUR
T1 - Bats as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance determinants
T2 - a survey of class 1 integrons in Grey-headed Flying Foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus)
AU - McDougall, Fiona
AU - Boardman, Wayne
AU - Gillings, Michael
AU - Power, Michelle
PY - 2019/6
Y1 - 2019/6
N2 - Increasing reports of antimicrobial resistance in wildlife highlight the significance of a One Health approach to managing resistance. We investigated the prevalence and diversity of class 1 integrons, a genetic determinant of resistance, in grey-headed flying foxes, a large fruit bat species belonging to the order Chiroptera. Class 1 integrons were detected in both wild flying foxes (5.3%) and captive flying foxes (41.2%) housed in wildlife rehabilitation facilities. Genes encoding resistance to aminoglycosides, trimethoprim and beta-lactams, and Qac efflux pumps were detected. Analysis of conserved integron elements and gene cassette arrays indicate the direction of integron transfer is from humans to flying foxes. The detection of two novel gene cassette arrays (5′CS-qacH-aacA34-bla OXA-21 -3′CS and 5′CS-qacF-3′CS strongly suggests acquisition of genes from the environmental resistome into class 1 integrons within the flying fox microbiota. The dynamics of class 1 integrons in flying foxes indicates bats have a role in the emergence of novel antibiotic resistance determinants.
AB - Increasing reports of antimicrobial resistance in wildlife highlight the significance of a One Health approach to managing resistance. We investigated the prevalence and diversity of class 1 integrons, a genetic determinant of resistance, in grey-headed flying foxes, a large fruit bat species belonging to the order Chiroptera. Class 1 integrons were detected in both wild flying foxes (5.3%) and captive flying foxes (41.2%) housed in wildlife rehabilitation facilities. Genes encoding resistance to aminoglycosides, trimethoprim and beta-lactams, and Qac efflux pumps were detected. Analysis of conserved integron elements and gene cassette arrays indicate the direction of integron transfer is from humans to flying foxes. The detection of two novel gene cassette arrays (5′CS-qacH-aacA34-bla OXA-21 -3′CS and 5′CS-qacF-3′CS strongly suggests acquisition of genes from the environmental resistome into class 1 integrons within the flying fox microbiota. The dynamics of class 1 integrons in flying foxes indicates bats have a role in the emergence of novel antibiotic resistance determinants.
KW - antimicrobial resistance
KW - bats
KW - integron
KW - One Health
KW - resistome
KW - reverse zoonosis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85062157638&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.meegid.2019.02.022
DO - 10.1016/j.meegid.2019.02.022
M3 - Article
C2 - 30798035
AN - SCOPUS:85062157638
VL - 70
SP - 107
EP - 113
JO - Infection, Genetics and Evolution
JF - Infection, Genetics and Evolution
SN - 1567-1348
ER -