Low Rates of Antimicrobial-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Wildlife in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire, Surrounded by Villages with High Prevalence of Multiresistant ESBL-Producing Escherichia coli in People and Domestic Animals

A study of Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire, found significantly lower rates of antimicrobial-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in wildlife compared to surrounding villages. While 27% of humans and 32% of dogs in adjacent communities harbored ESBL-producing Escherichia coli, no such bacteria were detected in park wildlife (n=75). Similarly, PMQR genes like qnrS1 were prevalent in human and dog samples from villages but absent in the park. However, variants of qnrB were identified in Citrobacter freundii from non-human primates and mice within the park. The research suggests that strict biosecurity measures likely prevent bacterial transmission between villagers and wildlife despite human entry into the protected area.

Albrechtova, K., Papousek, I., De Nys, H., Pauly, M., Anoh, E., Mossoun, A., Dolejska, M., Masarikova, M., Metzger, S., Couacy-Hymann, E., Akoua-Koffi, C., Wittig, R. M., Klimes, J., Cizek, A., Leendertz, F. H., & Literak, I. (2014). Low Rates of Antimicrobial-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Wildlife in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire, Surrounded by Villages with High Prevalence of Multiresistant ESBL-Producing Escherichia coli in People and Domestic Animals. PLoS ONE, 9(12), e113548. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0113548