Mencía Gutiérrez, AidaGarcía Peña, Francisco JavierGonzález González, FernandoPastor Tiburón, NataliaPérez Cobo, IratxeMarín Martínez, MaríaMartín Maldonado, Bárbara2024-06-102024-06-102024-05-11Mencía-Gutiérrez, A.; García-Peña, F.J.; González, F.; Pastor-Tiburón, N.; Pérez-Cobo, I.; Marín, M.; Martín-Maldonado, B. Exploring the Prevalence and Resistance of Campylobacter in Urban Bird Populations. Vet. Sci. 2024, 11, 210. https://doi.org/10.3390/ vetsci110502102306-738110.3390/vetsci11050210https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/104804The increasing urbanization of ecosystems has had a significant impact on wildlife over the last few years. Species that find an unlimited supply of food and shelter in urban areas have thrived under human presence. Wild birds have been identified as amplifying hosts and reservoirs of Campylobacter worldwide, but the information about its transmission and epidemiology is still limited. This study assessed the prevalence of Campylobacter in 137 urban birds admitted at a wildlife rescue center, with 18.8% of individuals showing positive. C. jejuni was the most frequent species (82.6%), followed by C. coli and C. lari (4.3% each). The order Passeriformes (33.3%) showed significant higher presence of Campylobacter when compared to orders Columbiformes (0%) and Ciconiiformes (17.6%), as well as in samples collected during the summer season (31.9%), from omnivorous species (36.8%) and young individuals (26.8%). Globally, Campylobacter displayed a remarkable resistance to ciprofloxacin (70.6%), tetracycline (64.7%), and nalidixic acid (52.9%). In contrast, resistance to streptomycin was low (5.8%), and all the isolates showed susceptibility to erythromycin and gentamycin. The results underline the importance of urban birds as reservoirs of thermophilic antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter and contribute to enhancing the knowledge of its distribution in urban and peri-urban ecosystems.Simple Summary: Wildlife has been described as a sylvatic reservoir for a multitude of pathogens. The interactions between wild birds, domestic animals, and humans in urban areas are high, so monitoring urban birds is key for the surveillance of zoonosis such as campylobacteriosis. This infection is mainly caused by thermophilic Campylobacter spp., and it is the most reported foodborne zoonosis in the European Union. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of thermophilic Campylobacter isolates and their antimicrobial resistance pattern in urban wild birds. Results showed that 16.8% of birds were positive for Campylobacter, with 82.4% of the isolates resistant to at least one antimicrobial. The taxonomic order of individuals, main diet, age, and season of sampling were significant factors associated with Campylobacter spp. carriage. Although the prevalence of Campylobacter was low, the rate of antimicrobial-resistant isolates is worrying, so similar studies should be included in the antimicrobial resistance surveillance programs.engAttribution 4.0 Internationaljournal articlehttps://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11050210https://www.mdpi.com/journal/vetsciopen access636.6CampylobacterAntimicrobial resistanceUrban wildlifeLandfillsPasserinesAMRZoonosesOne HealthWild birdsWildlifeVeterinaria3109 Ciencias Veterinarias