RT Journal Article
T1 Human-wildlife ecological interactions shape Escherichia coli population and resistome in two sloth species from Costa Rica
A1 Calvo-Fernandez, Cristina
A1 Dolcet-Negre, Marta M.
A1 Martin-Maldonado, Barbara
A1 Pulido-Vadillo, Mario
A1 Montero Serra, Natalia
A1 Such, Roger
A1 García-Vila, Encarnación
A1 Delgado Blas, José Francisco
A1 González Zorn, Bruno
AB Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health concern, with natural ecosystems acting as reservoirs for resistant bacteria. We assessed AMR in Escherichia coli isolated from two wild sloth species in Costa Rica. E. coli from two-toed sloths (Choloepus hoffmanni), a species with greater mobility and a broader diet, showed resistance to sulfamethoxazole (25%), tetracycline (9.4%), chloramphenicol (6.3%), ampicillin (6.3%), trimethoprim (3.1%), and ciprofloxacin (3.1%), which correlated with the presence of resistance genes (tet(A), tet(B), blaTEM-1B, aph(3")-Id, aph(6)-Id, sul2, qnrS1, floR and dfrA8). E. coli from three-toed sloths (Bradypus variegatus) showed 40% resistance to sulfamethoxazole despite no detected resistance genes, suggesting a regional effect. A significant negative correlation was found between AMR and distance to human-populated areas, highlighting anthropogenic impact on AMR spread. Notably, E. coli isolates from remote areas with no human impact indicate that some ecosystems remain unaffected. Preserving these areas is essential to protect environmental and public health
PB Nature Research
SN 2731-8745
YR 2025
FD 2025
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/130372
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/130372
LA eng
NO Calvo-Fernandez, C., Dolcet-Negre, M. M., Martin-Maldonado, B., Pulido-Vadillo, M., Montero, N., Such, R., García-Vila, E., Delgado-Blas, J. F., & Gonzalez-Zorn, B. (2025). Human-wildlife ecological interactions shape Escherichia coli population and resistome in two sloth species from Costa Rica. npj antimicrobials and resistance, 3(1), 62. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44259-025-00134-y
NO Author contributions: C.C.-F., R.S. and E.G.-V. collected the samples. C.C.-F. and N.M. performed the laboratory analyses. C.C.-F. and M.P.-V. conducted the bioinformatic analyses. M.M.D.-N. carried out the statistical analysis. C.C.-F., B.M.-M., M.M.D.-N. and M.P.-V. wrote the manuscript. J.F.D.-B. supported the bioinformatic interpretation. B.G.-Z. and E.G.-V. provided funding. B.G.-Z. supervised the research. C.C.-F., M.M.D.-N. and B.G.-Z. conceived and designed the study. C.C.-F. and M.M.D.-N. prepared the data visualizations. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript
NO Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
DS Docta Complutense
RD 16 ene 2026