The occurrence of enterobacteria and the rate of resistance to antimicrobials in illegally trafficked Sporophila passerines

Abstract

We investigate the occurrence of enterobacteria and antimicrobial resistance in passerines of the genus Sporophila seized from illegal trafficking. A total of 35 birds, apparently healthy and from illegal breeding, were sent to the Laboratory of Ornithological Studies at the State University of Ceará (Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil) by environmental agencies. Cloacal swabs were collected from each bird and subjected to traditional microbiological processing, using standard cultivation and bacterialidentification techniques. We conducted antimicrobial susceptibility testing using the disc-diffusion method. Twenty-three birds (65.7%) exhibited enterobacteria, with Escherichia coli (28.6%) and Serratia liquefaciens (25.7%) being the most common. Antimicrobial resistance in total isolates was observed most frequently in relation to ciprofloxacin (28.1%), followed by tetracycline (25.0%) and enrofloxacin (18.8%). The rate of resistance to Serratia liquefaciens was the highest (i.e., 66.6% of isolates). The birds’ cloacal samples revealed several members of the Enterobacterales order, with E. coli and S. liquefaciens being the most prevalent. We also observed antimicrobial resistance to several drugs, as well as cases of multi-resistance. Antimicrobial resistance is clearly present in wild birds resulting from illegal keeping. These findings highlight the importance of considering antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in release programs to prevent these microorganisms from dispersing into the environment.