Colonization of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from Urban and Suburban Environments with Cephalosporinase- and Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacterales
Gregory A. Ballash, Patricia M. Dennis, Dixie F. Mollenkopf, Amy L. Albers, Terry Robison, Rachael J. Adams, Cong Li, Gregory H. Tyson, Thomas E. Wittum
Abstract
The role of wildlife in the spread of antimicrobial resistance is not fully characterized. Some wildlife, including white-tailed deer (WTD), can thrive in suburban and urban environments. This may result in the exchange of antimicrobial resistant bacteria and resistance genes between humans and wildlife, and lead to their spread in the environment. We found that WTD living in an urban park system carried antimicrobial resistant bacteria that were important to human health and resistant to antibiotics used to treat serious bacterial infections. This included two deer that carried bacteria resistant to carbapenem antibiotics which are critically important for treatment of life-threatening infections. These two bacteria had the ability to transfer their AMR resistance genes to other bacteria, making them a threat to public health. Our results suggest that WTD may contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the environment.