Résumé
Limited data are available on the contribution of wildlife to the spread of antibacterial resistance. We determined the prevalence of resistance to antibiotics inEscherichia coliisolates collected from wild animals in 2013 and 2014 and the genetic basis for resistance to third-generation cephalosporin in Guadeloupe. We recovered 52 antibiotic-resistant (AR)E. colistrains from 48 of the 884 (5.4%) wild animals tested (46 iguanas, 181 birds, 289 anoles, and 368 rodents at 163 sampling sites). Rodents had higher rates of carriage (n= 38, 10.3%) than reptiles and birds (2.4% and 1.1%, respectively,p< 0.001). A significant association (p< 0.001) was found between the degree of anthropization and the frequency of ARE. colicarriage for all species. The carriage rate of ciprofloxacin- and cefotaxime-resistant isolates was 0.7% (6/884) and 1.5% (13/884), respectively. Most (65.4%) ARE. coliwere multi-drug resistant, and the prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producingE. coliwas low (n= 7, 0.8%) in all species. Eight ESBL-producingE. coliwere recovered, two genetically unrelated isolates being found in one bird. These isolates and 20 human invasive ESBLE. coliisolates collected in Guadeloupe during the same period were investigated by whole genome sequencing.bla(CTX-M-1)was the only ESBL gene shared by three animal classes (humans,n= 2; birds,n= 2; rodents,n= 2). Thebla(CTX-M-1)gene and most of the antimicrobial resistance genes were present in a large conjugative IncI1 plasmid that was highly similar (>99% nucleotide identity) to ESBL-carrying plasmids found in several countries in Europe and in Australia. Although the prevalence of ESBL-producingE. coliisolates was very low in wild animals, it is of concern that the well-conserved IncI1 plasmid-carryingbla(CTX-M-1)is widespread and occurs in variousE. colistrains from animals and humans.