Antimicrobial resistance in faecal samples from buffalo, wildebeest and zebra grazing together with and without cattle in Tanzania

A study on antimicrobial resistance in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area found no significant increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria among wild ungulates (buffalo, wildebeest, and zebra) that co-graze with cattle compared to those without such interaction. While wild ungulates harbored higher levels of resistant Escherichia coli and Enterococci, including vancomycin-resistant strains, resistance patterns did not differ significantly between sites where cattle were present or absent. The research suggests that co-grazing is not a frequent route for the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to wildlife, though resistant strains like cefotaxime- and enrofloxacin-resistant E. coli were detected in wild ungulates but not in cattle.

Katakweba, A. A. S., Møller, K. S., Muumba, J., Muhairwa, A. P., Damborg, P., Rosenkrantz, J. T., Minga, U. M., Mtambo, M. M. A., & Olsen, J. E. (2015). Antimicrobial resistance in faecal samples from buffalo, wildebeest and zebra grazing together with and without cattle in Tanzania. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 118(4), 966–975. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.12738