Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Volume 288, Issue 1948, Pages -Publisher
ROYAL SOC
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0399
Keywords
Escherichia coli; wild animals; genetic diversity; pathogenicity; antimicrobial resistance; transmission
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There is a lack of information on Escherichia coli in wild animals, despite evidence of pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant strains in their gut microbiomes. As human populations expand into wild areas, the potential for harmful microorganisms to transfer between humans and wildlife increases, highlighting the need for greater research efforts to understand the implications for global public health.
A striking paucity of information exists on Escherichia coli in wild animals despite evidence that they harbour pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant E. coli in their gut microbiomes and may even serve as melting pots for novel genetic combinations potentially harmful to human health. Wild animals have been implicated as the source of pathogenic E. coli outbreaks in agricultural production, but a lack of knowledge surrounding the genetics of E. coli in wild animals complicates source tracking and thus contamination curtailment efforts. As human populations continue to expand and invade wild areas, the potential for harmful microorganisms to transfer between humans and wildlife increases. Here, we conducted a literature review of the small body of work on E. coli in wild animals. We highlight the geographic and host taxonomic coverage to date, and in each, identify significant gaps. We summarize the current understanding of E. coli in wild animals, including its genetic diversity, host and geographic distribution, and transmission pathways within and between wild animal and human populations. The knowledge gaps we identify call for greater research efforts to understand the existence of E. coli in wild animals, especially in light of the potentially strong implications for global public health.
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