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Microplastics and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria are a matter of concern, especially in aquatic environments. In this study, we compared the presence of microplastics and antibiotic-resistant bac...

Antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative bacteria isolated from cloacal samples of chicks of Canarian Egyptian vultures was investigated. Prevalence of Salmonella was also studied. Forty-seven isolates, obtained from 23 animals, were analysed. Escherichia coli (n = 29), Proteus mirabilis (n = 17) and Salmonella spp. (n = 1) were identified using API 20E system. Antimicrobial susceptibility to 13 antibiotics included in nine different categories was determined using disk-diffusion technique. The higher percentages of susceptible E. coli isolates were found for aminoglycosides and cefoxitin, and the lower ones were found for ampicillin, enrofloxacin and tetracycline. Proteus mirabilis isolates were susceptible to most of antimicrobials tested. Multidrug resistance patterns were found in 13 E. coli and four Proteus mirabilis. Salmonella spp. was detected in one chick (4.37%), and the isolate was also resistant to ampicillin and tetracycline. Thirteen E. coli isolates and four Proteus isolates showed a multidrug-resistance pattern, being resistant at least to one antibiotic in three or more different antimicrobial categories. This high level of antibiotic resistance in chickens of an endangered bird may be a limitation for possible treatments of infections in this species, as well as representing a source of resistant bacteria for animal care staff and for other animals in wildlife recovery centres. A "One Health" approach to this problem is necessary to reduce the levels of antimicrobial resistance in wild birds.

Objective: This work aimed to determine the carriage rate of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli as well as their genetic characteristics in camels from the Canary Islands, Spain. Methods: Fecal samples were recovered from 58 healthy camels from Gran Canaria (n = 32) and Fuerteventura Islands (n = 26) during July 2019. They were seeded on MacConkey (MC) agar no supplemented and supplemented (MC + CTX) with cefotaxime (2 &micro, g/mL). Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion test (CLSI, 2018). The presence of blaCTX-M, blaSHV, blaTEM,blaCMY-2 and blaOXA-1/48 genes was tested by PCR/sequencing. Furthermore, the mcr-1 (colistin resistance), tetA/tetB (tetracycline resistance), int1 (integrase of class 1 integrons) and stx1,2 genes were analyzed. Phylogenetic groups and sequence types were determined by specific-PCR/sequencing for selected isolates. Results: E. coli was obtained from all the 58 camels in MC media (100%) and in five of them in MC + CTX media (8.6%). Furthermore, 63.8% of E. coli isolates recovered from MC agar were susceptible to all the antibiotics tested. The five E. coli isolates recovered from MC + CTX media were characterized and two of them were ESBL-producers (3.4%). Both ESBL-producer isolates carried the blaCTX-M-15 gene and belonged to the lineages ST3018 (phylogroup A) and ST69 (phylogroup B1). The 3 ESBL-negative isolates recovered from MC-CTX plates were ascribed to phylogroup-B1. Conclusions: Camels can be a source of ESBL-producer bacteria, containing the widespread blaCTX-M-15 gene associated with the lineages ST3018 and ST69.

The aims of this cross-sectional study were to estimate the prevalence of IgG antibodies against Chlamydia abortus, the cause of enzootic abortion, in goats and to determine its associated risk factors on the Canary Islands. A total of 325 goats from 11 non-vaccinated herds were sampled and assessed using a commercial ELISA kit. Related data were also obtained for further statistical analysis and associated risk factors to seropositive flocks. For comparison, abortion rates between the vaccinated and non-vaccinated herds were compared. The overall seroprevalence of the unvaccinated herds was 33%, which can be considered as high when compared to other European regions. Associated risk factors such as herd size, management system, diet, and manure removal frequency were found statistically significant. However, no significant differences were found in the abortion rates between vaccinated and non-vaccinated flocks, indicating that other microorganisms could also cause abortions in goats on the region. Despite this, the seroprevalence of C. abortus is relatively high in this limited survey of goat herds and may pose a threat to both human and animals on the Canary Islands.

Doxycycline is an antibiotic that, in addition to the classic antibacterial use, is also prescribed to fight parasitic diseases, like heartworm disease in dogs. Despite the concern that the overuse of this antibiotic may decrease susceptibility of clinically important bacteria, the consequences of the prolonged doxycycline therapy in heartworm-infected dogs have never been studied before. We have analyzed the impact of this therapy on Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus antimicrobial resistance. In this study, 17 heartworm-infected dogs (10 that had completed the doxycycline treatment and 7 dogs that had not yet begun) were included. Twenty-four isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were obtained from two locations of each dog. After treatment, 73.3% of isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic but only 22.2% of isolates before treatment. Most of doxycycline resistant isolates were obtained from dogs that have received treatment. Erythromycin resistance or intermediate susceptibility was detected in 45.6% of isolates, most of them from dogs after treatment. For Enterococci, 48 isolates were obtained from fecal samples (25 before treatment and 23 after treatment). Before treatment, 32% of isolates were resistant at least to one antibiotic while after, this data increase up to 65%. Comparing isolates before and after treatment, a clear increase in resistance to doxycycline (12% against 21.74%) and erythromycin (20% against 39.13%) was observed. Although the present work is a preliminary research, the results encourages the development of further studies to determinate the effect of prolonged doxycycline therapy on antimicrobial resistance.

Due to their predatory habits, raptors may serve as indicators of the presence of antimicrobial‐resistant bacteria in the environment, but they also represent a public health risk for livestock and humans because they can act as reservoirs, sources and spreaders of these bacteria. Our objective was to determine the presence of antimicrobial‐resistant bacteria in cloacal samples of Canarian Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus majorensis), an endemic bird of prey. One hundred and forty‐two cloacal swabs were obtained; Escherichia coli was isolated from 80.28% and Salmonella from 6.3% of these samples. Low levels of susceptibility to ampicillin, tetracycline and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole were found. About 20% of the isolates were resistant or presented intermediate susceptibility to fluoroquinolones. Surprisingly, we found isolates resistant to imipenem (6.96%). Isolates from chicks were more susceptible to antimicrobial drugs than adult and immature birds. About 50% of E. coli isolates were resistant to ampicillin, tetracycline and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and about 20% to piperacillin, enrofloxacin and marbofloxacin. High percentages of isolates of Salmonella were found to be resistant to cephalexin (88%) and aminoglycosides (greater than 77%). Our results support the idea that raptors could act as reservoirs of Salmonella and antimicrobial‐resistant bacteria, posing a risk not only to wildlife but also to livestock and the human population, thus reinforcing the need to minimize the exposure of wildlife to antimicrobial agent through human and livestock waste

Care for dependent people should be provided primarily through the local Social Services network and only exceptionally through complementary economic benefits, because this allows public expenditure and job creation objectives to be met and respects the spirit of the Law. Expectations generated in relation to the Law have generally not been fulfilled because emphasis was placed on economic assistance, particularly economic benefits for family care, which represent an average of 45,5 % of the total service and economic benefits going to care for dependent people. It is expected that in the future care for dependent people will be provided mainly through professional services.

Trypanosoma evansi was diagnosed in a camel in the Canary Islands for the first time in 1997, and the parasite is still present in a little area of the Archipelago. Since then, the disease has exclusively affected camel herds, and clinical evidence of the infection has not been demonstrated in any other animal hosts. In the frame of a control plan of the disease in the Archipelago, 864 equines located in the infected area were examined during one decade (2001-2010), of which a total of 26 (3%) were serologically positive but showed negative results at parasitological and molecular examinations. FreeCalc, an epidemiological tool to detect presence/absence of disease, showed that the population would be diseased at a confidence level of 99.916%. These results must suppose to implement the control plan against the disease including the equine population present in the surrounding area of the infected camel farms.

We have investigated the resistance of Enterococcus isolated from poultry faeces to antibiotics commonly used as therapy of enterococcal infections. Identification was made by the method of Facklam and Collins. Minimal inhibitory concentrations of penicillin, ampicillin, vancomycin and teicoplanin were determined and high level aminoglycoside resistance was investigated. Genes codifying high level aminoglycoside resistance (HLAR) were determined by PCR. Fifty five Enterococcus strains were isolated (63.6% E. faecalis, 12.7% E. mundtii, 9.1% E. faecium, 7.3% E. casseliflavus, 3.7% E. durans and 3.6% E. hirae). None of the strains were resistant to VAN, TEC, P or AM. HLAR was found in 34.5% of strains for SM, 27.3% for KM and 7.3% for GM. The gene for the bifunctional enzyme was found only in one strain, that showed HLAR to GM and KM. Fourteen strains harboured the gene aph(3')-III, being 11 resistant to KM and STR, and three resistant to GM, KM and STR. The remaining six strains showed HLAR to STR, but were negative for the three genes tested by PCR. The gene ant(4'4") was not detected in any of the strains. No unexpected vancomycin resistance was detected. The resistance rates among poultry strains were lower than those found among human strains isolated from hospital patients in recent Canary studies.

In 2008, Trypanosoma evansi was detected on a camel farm in mainland Spain. The animals were isolated, confined in a closed stable, and treated twice with melarsamine (Cymelarsan®, Merial, Lyon, France) with an interval of 1 month. Clinical and laboratory examinations by means of parasitological, serological, and molecular procedures (polymerase chain reaction (PCR)) were carried out regularly for 6 years. After the treatment, all parasitemic camels were cleared of parasites, and in the seropositive camels a progressive decrease in antibody levels was observed, with complete disappearance of antibodies between 15 and 21 months, except in one animal which showed doubtful Ag–Ab reaction at 21 months post treatment. In the next assessment, 6 months later, the diagnostic tests conducted on all animals had a negative result. The diagnostic and therapeutic tools recently developed against T. evansi will evidence new and alternative approaches after the parasite is detected, particularly if outbreak occurs in geographically localized areas in territories free of the disease.

Trypanosoma evansi is the most widely spread of the pathogenic African trypanosomes of animals. The disease (surra) was first diagnosed in the Canary Islands in a dromedary camel in 1997; thus, a control plan was implemented achieving the eventual eradication of T. evansi from most of the infected areas in the Archipelago. However, a little area remains still infected despite the use of the same control measures. To evaluate possible reservoirs in the area a representative sample of domestic ruminants was examined by serological, parasitological and molecular tests. Of a total of 1228 ruminants assessed, 61 (5%) were serologically positive (7 cattle, 21 goats, 33 sheep), but T. evansi could be demonstrated in none of them. According to FreeCalc assessment, cattle and goat populations would be free from disease; however, the results from sheep are not adequate to conclude that the population would be free from disease. As a conclusion, surveillance must be exercised on ruminant farms in the surroundings of the infected area in order to evaluate the possible extension of the disease and their potential role as reservoirs of T. evansi.