blaCTX-M-1-encoding Incl1 plasmids spread in E. from different species of wild animals.

Antimicrobial resistance is a global and multifaceted public health issue as the pandemic spread and evolution of highly resistant bacteria occurred similarly in the human, animal and environmental settings. Even though wild animals are not in direct contact with antibiotics, they are influenced by the excessive use in humans and veterinary medicine. A total of 45 Escherichia coli isolates recovered from different species of wild animals and farm animals isolated in Portugal and Spain were analyzed by whole-genome sequences. Of the 45 strains, 26 were ESBL-producing E. coli. The most frequent ESBL-encoding gene was the blaCTX-M-1 and it was associated to IncI1 plasmid. Therefore, ESBL-producing E. coli has disseminated in several wild animal species, including birds which migrate long distances in short periods of time and thus can be considered as multidrug-resistant bacteria spreaders.