Las aves silvestres como reservorios de bacterias resistentes a los antibióticos: efectos de la antropización

Abstract

Abstract: Antimicrobial resistance poses a high risk to public health and is a threat to healthcare systems. The objective of this research was to determine the role of wild birds as reservoirs of resistant bacteria and how this risk varies due to the effects of anthropization. Thirty cloacal swab samples were collected from wild birds in urban and peri-urban areas of Loja, and the prevalence of bacterial diversity was determined and sensitivity tests were evaluated in Escherichia coli strains. The urban area had a prevalence three times higher than the peri-urban area. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus predominated in both areas, but their dominance varied according to the degree of anthropization. Sensitivity tests determined that 10.7% of Escherichia coli strains from urban areas were multidrug-resistant and none were ESBL producers. These results determine that the degree of human intervention alters the avian microbiota, positioning the wild birds of Loja as early stage sentinels and reservoirs of bacteria of interest to public health.