Open AccessCharacterizing the Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Microbes Isolated from Wildlife Presented to the Wildlife Hospital of Louisiana (Baton Rouge, LA)
Author(s) -
Mark Mitchell,
Emily Dahlgran,
Alma Roy
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
wildlife rehabilitation bulletin
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2769-6960
pISSN - 1535-2242
DOI - 10.53607/wrb.v22.227
Subject(s) - wildlife , livestock , antibiotic resistance , environmental health , medicine , isolation (microbiology) , geography , human health , veterinary medicine , antibiotics , ecology , biology , forestry , microbiology and biotechnology
The isolation of antimicrobial resistant bacteria (ARB) from humans and livestock is a special concern for public health officials. Although research has been conducted to evaluate the prevalence of ARB in human and veterinary hospitals, there has been limited research evaluating the potential for ARB in wildlife and wildlife hospitals. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of ARB in wildlife presented to the Wildlife Hospital of Louisiana (WHL). Seventy percent (19/27) of the wildlife presented to the WHL during the summer of 2002 had ARB bacteria. In addition, 40 percent (15/37) of the samples collected from within the hospital environment also were found to harbor ARB. Antibiotic resistant bacteria pose a health risk for compromised patients and their human caretakers in a wildlife hospital. Management plans should be developed within wildlife rehabilitation facilities to decrease the likelihood of creating and disseminating ARB.