Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria in wildlife: A “One Health” approach to Surveillance, Transmission and Control

Dear Colleagues,

Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem that must be tackled with a comprehensive "One Health" approach, i.e., taking into account the fact that human health should not be dissociated from animal and environmental health.

Wildlife has been identified as one of the drivers of the dissemination of MDR bacteria and/or genes conferring resistance to clinically important antimicrobials.

Wild animals can recirculate MDR bacteria into human and domestic animal populations. Especially important are wild birds that use livestock facilities for food and shelter, as they could contribute to the spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria to farm and companion animals.

On the other hand, fecal contamination of the environment by wild birds could also play a relevant role in the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria to humans via livestock or water supplies.

Antibiotic resistance may also be a good indicator of humankind’s influence on wildlife’s exposure to bacteria. Animals in the wild can acquire these bacteria from treated water, farms, landfills, etc., with wild birds being one of the most studied groups in relation to this issue.

Animals admitted to wildlife recovery centers (WRCs) may harbor MDR bacteria and also zoonotic pathogens. This could pose a health risk to workers involved in animal rescue or research. Since most animals are intended to be returned to the wild after a few days or weeks, this could also pose a problem with respect to the spread of resistance in natural environments.

Although, theoretically, wild animals are not exposed to clinically relevant antibiotics, the detection of MDR strains in wildlife is increasing considerably, reinforcing the importance of and need for focused studies on this topic. In addition, monitoring these bacteria in wildlife has become an important surveillance tool since it could reflect antimicrobial resistance in strains isolated from humans and domestic animals.

The main objective of this Special Issue is to improve our understanding of the role of wildlife in the dissemination of multidrug-resistant bacteria in the framework of the “One Health” approach. For this, submissions of research manuscripts focused on the role of wildlife as reservoirs and transmitters of multidrug-resistant bacteria and analyses of how wildlife acquires MDR bacteria or genes are welcomed. Review manuscripts on this topic are also welcomed.

Dr. María Teresa Tejedor-Junco
Guest Editor

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• multidrug resistance
• wildlife
• “One Health”