Low potential of persistence and dissemination of antimicrobial-resistant Enterobacterales by wild nutria (Myocastor coypus) in a local river of Gifu Prefecture

Abstract

Environmental pollution caused by antimicrobial resistance is a global public health concern. To investigate the contribution of nutrias (Myocastor coypus) to the presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)–producing Enterobacterales in the Ijira River, prevalence of ESBL–producing Enterobacterales in their feces was examined using deoxycholate-hydrogen sulfide-lactose agar containing cefotaxime. Additionally, the composition of the fecal microbiota of nutria was examined using DNA metabarcoding analysis of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene and compared with that of Amami rabbit, deer, fox, and raccoon dog. The absence of ESBL–producing Enterobacterales and substantially lower abundance of Enterobacterales was observed in the feces of nutrias than in those of other wild mammals. Our results suggest the low potential of antimicrobial-resistant Enterobacterales persistence and dissemination by nutria.