Aims: Multiple antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli of wild vertebrates is a global concern with scarce assessments on the subject from developing countries that have high human-wild species interactions. We studied the ecology of E. coli in a wintering population of Egyptian Vultures in India to understand temporal changes in both E. coli strains and patterns of antimicrobial resistance. Methods and Results: We ribotyped E. coli strains and assessed antimicrobial resistance from wintering vultures at a highly synanthropic carcass dump in north-west India. Both E. coli occurence (90.32%) and resistance to multiple antimicrobials (71.43%) were very high. Clear temporal patterns were apparent. Diversity of strains changed and homogenized at the end of the Vultures’ wintering period, while the resistance pattern showed significantly difference inter-annually, as well as between arrival and departing individuals within a wintering cycle. Significance of study: The carcass dump environment altered both E. coli strains and multiple antimicrobial resistance in migratory Egyptian Vultures within a season. Long-distance migratory species could therefore disseminate resistant E. coli strains across broad geographical scales rendering regional mitigation strategies to control multiple antimicrobial resistance in bacteria ineffective.

Microorganisms are capable to produce a wide range of surface active metabolites which are known as biosurfactant. In the present study, the production of biosurfactant from Bacillus subtilis MTCC 441 and evaluation of its synergistic activities with known antibiotics against drug resistance Staphylococcus aureus were performed. Drops collapse grid method was developed for detection of biosurfactant production in the medium. The production of biosurfactant was done in previously defined Carvalho's medium. The extraction of biosurfactant was done in chloroform: methanol (2:1 v/v) solvent. The synergistic activity of crude biosurfactant was determined by disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration assay. The Staphylococcus aureus was found resistant against ampicillin-sublactum (10µg), ampicillin (25µg), and cloxacillin (5µg), which showed no zone of inhibition but in the combination of crude biosurfactant, the zone of inhibition were measured as 14 mm, 14 mm and 19 mm, respectively. The crude biosurfactant showed good synergy with most of the antibiotics used in the study. The results demonstrated that biosurfactant possesses considerable potentiality to break the resistance of the pathogen tested. In future, it can be used for the development of effective drug against resistant bacteria.

This study of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in fecal droppings of migratory Egyptian vultures (Neophron p. percnopterus) revealed eight positive samples (n=25) by a 16S rRNA gene-based PCR in two consecutive winter seasons. Disk diffusion sensitivity testing revealed three multiple antimicrobial resistant (MAR) isolates. Genotypic characterization showed mutually exclusive exo-s and exo-u virulence genes in five and three isolates, respectively, while the alg gene was present in all of the isolates. MAR isolates with virulence genes were detected in both seasons. The Egyptian vultures could potentially be vectors of pathogenic and MAR P. aeruginosa, thereby affecting regional control and preventive measures.

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