Detection of antimicrobial-resistant Enterobacterales in insectivorous bats from Chile.

Enterobacterales of clinical importance for humans and domestic animals are now commonly detected among wildlife worldwide. However, few studies have investigated their prevalence among bats, particularly in bat species living near humans. In this study, we assessed the occurrence of Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing (ESBL) and carbapenemase-resistant (CR) Enterobacterales in rectal swabs of bats submitted to the Chilean national rabies surveillance program from 2021 to 2022. From the 307 swabs screened, 47 (15%) harboured cefotaxime-resistant Enterobacterales. Bats carrying these bacteria originated from 9 out of the 14 Chilean regions. Most positive samples were obtained from Tadarida brasiliensis (n = 42), but also Lasiurus varius, L. cinereus and Histiotus macrotus. No Enterobacterales were resistant to imipenem. All ESBL-Enterobacterales were confirmed as Rahnella aquatilis by MALDI-TOF. No other ESBL or CR Enterobacterales were detected. To our knowledge, this is the first screening of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wild bats of Chile, showing the bat faecal carriage of R. aquatilis naturally resistant to cephalosporins, but also including acquired resistance to important antibiotics for public health such as amoxicillin with clavulanic acid. Our results suggest unknown selective pressures on R. aquatilis, but low or no carriage of ESBL or CR Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. Future studies should assess the zoonotic and environmental implications of R. aquatilis, which are likely present in the guano left by bats roosting in human infrastructures.

Drivers of Spatial Expansions of Vampire Bat Rabies in Colombia.

Spatial expansions of vampire bat-transmitted rabies (VBR) are increasing the risk of lethal infections in livestock and humans in Latin America. Identifying the drivers of these expansions could improve current approaches to surveillance and prevention. We aimed to identify if VBR spatial expansions are occurring in Colombia and test factors associated with these expansions. We analyzed 2336 VBR outbreaks in livestock reported to the National Animal Health Agency (Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario-ICA) affecting 297 municipalities from 2000-2019. The area affected by VBR changed through time and was correlated to the reported number of outbreaks each year. Consistent with spatial expansions, some municipalities reported VBR outbreaks for the first time each year and nearly half of the estimated infected area in 2010-2019 did not report outbreaks in the previous decade. However, the number of newly infected municipalities decreased between 2000-2019, suggesting decelerating spatial expansions. Municipalities infected later had lower cattle populations and were located further from the local reporting offices of the ICA. Reducing the VBR burden in Colombia requires improving vaccination coverage in both endemic and newly infected areas while improving surveillance capacity in increasingly remote areas with lower cattle populations where rabies is emerging.

OCCURRENCE OF MANGE IN AMERICAN BLACK BEARS (URSUS AMERICANUS) IN NEW YORK STATE, USA.

Mange, a parasitic skin disease caused by various species of mites, is found in free-ranging wildlife populations and has been increasingly reported in American black bears (Ursus americanus) over the last decade in New York State (NYS), USA. Our goal was to describe the geographic, seasonal, and demographic factors associated with mange in this species in NYS. Our retrospective study used historic, opportunistic data from diagnostic necropsy records and visual sighting reports collected by the NYS Wildlife Health Program from 2009 to 2018. We used chi-square tests for independence and odds ratios to examine whether geographic location, year, season, sex, age, and reason for laboratory submission were associated with mange in bears. We used maps and seasonal analysis to investigate emerging patterns. We confirmed increased black bear mange reports in recent years. Necropsy data revealed more bears submitted to the laboratory because of mange, mainly caused by Sarcoptes scabiei; females were more likely than males to present with sarcoptic mange. We found that cases of mange in the Northern Zone were widely disseminated throughout the region, whereas cases in the Southern Zone were concentrated in two areas along the Pennsylvania border. Seasonally, mange cases showed peaks occurring in late spring to early summer and in fall. Our results were on the basis of available data; a comprehensive statewide surveillance program would be useful to better understand the apparent increase in mange and its potential impact on both the welfare of individual animals and the population of black bears in NYS. Additional research on the timing of transmission dynamics associated with females in winter dens may be helpful to wildlife managers to identify strategies to mitigate deleterious spread of the disease in black bears.

Hematology, Biochemistry Reference Intervals, and Morphological Description of Peripheral Blood Cells for a Captive Population of Crocodylus intermedius in Colombia.

The Orinoco crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius, Graves, 1918) is the most threatened crocodilian of South America. There is only scarce information available about the physiology of this neotropical crocodile. This study aimed to propose baseline hematological and biochemistry reference data and intervals and a morphological description of the peripheral blood cells of captive C. intermedius. Blood was collected from 318 clinically healthy individuals maintained in captivity at Villavicencio, Colombia. Eight of these individuals were sampled and resampled, and these data were compared. Reference intervals were proposed for hematological values [packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell count, white blood cell count, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, hemoglobin, and white blood cell count differential counts] and biochemistries [total solids, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, glucose, albumin, cholesterol, uric acid, creatinine, and lactate] including adults and juveniles, males and females' crocodiles. Blood cell morphology for the species is described. Significant differences between sex and age were observed. The intraindividual analysis concluded differences for total solids (P ≤ 0.01) and red blood cell counts (P ≤ 0.01). Some biochemical analytes showed a moderate correlation between them, such as ALT-alkaline phosphatase and ALT-uric acid. We present here novel and baseline data with special importance for the clinical diagnosis, improving the national reintroduction programs from either in situ and ex situ populations.

The Role of Gulls as Reservoirs of Antibiotic Resistance in Aquatic Environments: A Scoping Review.

The role of wildlife with long-range dispersal such as gulls in the global dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across natural and anthropogenic aquatic environments remains poorly understood. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been detected in resident and migratory gulls worldwide for more than a decade, suggesting gulls as either sentinels of AMR pollution from anthropogenic sources or independent reservoirs that could maintain and disperse AMR across aquatic environments. However, confirming either of these roles remains challenging and incomplete. In this review, we present current knowledge on the geographic regions where AMR has been detected in gulls, the molecular characterization of resistance genes, and the evidence supporting the capacity of gulls to disperse AMR across regions or countries. We identify several limitations of current research to assess the role of gulls in the spread of AMR including most studies not identifying the source of AMR, few studies comparing bacteria isolated in gulls with other wild or domestic species, and almost no study performing longitudinal sampling over a large period of time to assess the maintenance and dispersion of AMR by gulls within and across regions. We suggest future research required to confirm the role of gulls in the global dispersion of AMR including the standardization of sampling protocols, longitudinal sampling using advanced satellite tracking, and whole-genome sequencing typing. Finally, we discuss the public health implications of the spread of AMR by gulls and potential solutions to limit its spread in aquatic environments.

Intususcepción ileal generada por Prosthenorchis sp. en un tití gris (Saguinus leucopus) mantenido en un centro de recepción de fauna en Colombia / Ileal Intussusception Caused by Prosthenorchis sp. in a Gray Marmoset (Saguinus leucopus) Held in a Wildlife Reception Center in Colombia / Intussuscepção ileal gerada por Prosthenorchis sp. em um macaco titi cinza (Saguinus leucopus) mantido em um centro de recepção de fauna na Colômbia

Prosthenorchis sp. es un acantocéfalo común en primates del género Saguinus, que produce lesiones gastrointestinales asociadas con diarrea crónica y baja condición corporal. El diagnóstico es incidental y como tratamiento es necesaria la remoción quirúrgica del parásito. El objetivo de este estudio es describir el cuadro clínico, el manejo diagnóstico y terapéutico de un Saguinus leucopus con nodulaciones e intususcepción ileal causadas por Prosthenorchis sp. En el examen clínico el paciente se encontró deprimido, postrado, hipotérmico y con baja condición corporal, con descamación cutánea generalizada, alopecia del tercio distal de la cola y recorte de todos los caninos. En la palpación abdominal se encontraron nodulaciones en la región distal del abdomen. El cuadro hemático presentó leucopenia, linfopenia y neutropenia; hemoglobina baja; hipocromía y leve policromatofilia, y en el coprológico se encontraron huevos de Prostenorchis sp. y estrongílidos. El paciente ingresó a cirugía, mediante la cual se detectó una intususcepción ileal, por lo que se realizó una enterotomía con posterior enteroanastomosis término lateral del íleon al borde antimesentérico del ciego. Pese al tratamiento antibiótico y analgésico, no hubo evolución favorable del paciente, entró en paro cardiorres-piratorio y murió. El diagnóstico histopatológico fue peritonitis fibrinosa. Este fue un cuadro clínico típico de Prosthenorchis sp., en el que el pronóstico del paciente era reservado a malo y su evolución no fue favorable, tanto por el parasitismo como por las deficiencias nutricionales presentadas. El tratamiento quirúrgico es el manejo de elección; sin embargo, es necesario tener en cuenta que los pacientes con sintomatología clínica avanzada tienen mal pronóstico.

Prosthenorchis sp. is a common acanthocephalan in primates of the genus Saguinus, which produces gastrointestinal lesions associated with chronic diarrhea and low body condition. The diagnosis is incidental and surgical removal of the parasite is necessary as a treatment. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis and therapeutic management of a Saguinus leucopus with nodules and ileal intussusception caused by Prosthenorchis sp. During the clinical examination, the patient was depressed, prostrate, hypothermic, and presenting low body condition, with generalized skin desquamation, alopecia in the distal third of the tail, and chipped canine teeth. Abdominal palpation evidenced nodules in groins. The blood count presented leukopenia, lymphopenia, and neutropenia; low hemoglobin; hypochromia and mild polychromatophilia. Prostenorchis sp. eggs and strongyles were found in stool. The patient was admitted to surgery, through which ileal intussusception was detected; for this reason, an enterotomy was performed followed by end-to-side enteroenterostomy of the ileum to the antimesenteric border of the caecum. Despite the antibiotic and analgesic treatment, the patient did not improve, it went into cardiac arrest and died. The histopathologic diagnosis was fibrinous peritonitis. This was a typical clinical history of Prosthenorchis sp., in which the patient's prognosis was bad and the outcome was not favorable, due both to parasitism and nutritional deficiencies present. Surgery is the treatment of choice; however, it is necessary to consider that patients with advanced clinical symptoms have a poor prognosis.

Prosthenorchis sp. é um acantocéfalo comum em primatas do gênero Saguinus, que produz lesões gastrointestinais associadas com diarreia crônica e baixa condição corporal. O diagnóstico é incidental e como tratamento é necessária a remoção cirúrgica do parasita. O objetivo deste estudo é descrever o quadro clínico, o manejo diagnóstico e terapêutico de um Saguinus leucopus com nodulações e intussuscepção ileal causadas por Prosthenorchis sp. No exame clínico o paciente estava deprimido, prostrado, hipotérmico e com baixa condição corporal, com descamação cutânea generalizada, alopecia do tercio distal da cauda e recorte de todos os caninos. Na palpação abdominal se encontraram nodulações nas virilhas. O hemograma apresentou leucopenia, linfopenia e neutropenia; hemoglobina baixa; hipocromia e leve policromatofilia, e no exame de fezes se encontraram ovos de Prostenorchis sp. e estrongilídeos. O paciente foi levado à cirurgia, através da qual se detectou uma intussuscepção ileal, razão pela qual se realizou uma enterotomia com posterior enteroanastomose término lateral do íleo ao borde antimesentérico do cego. Apesar do tratamento antibiótico e analgésico, não houve evolução favorável do paciente, entrou em parada cardiorrespiratória e morreu. O diagnóstico histopatológico foi peritonite fibrinosa. Este foi um quadro clínico típico de Prosthenorchis sp., no qual o prognóstico do paciente era reservado a malo e sua evolução não foi favorável, tanto pelo parasitismo quanto pelas deficiências nutricionais apresentadas. O tratamento cirúrgico é o escolhido; no entanto, é necessário ter em conta que os pacientes com sintomatologia clínica avançada têm um mau prognóstico.