Caught in the ESKAPE: Wildlife as Key Players in the Ecology of Resistant Pathogens in a One Health Context
The emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria poses a significant global health challenge, with ESKAPE pathogens (<i>Enterococcus faecium</i>, <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>, <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>, <i>Pseu...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| author | Vanessa Silva Sara Araújo Manuela Caniça José Eduardo Pereira Gilberto Igrejas Patrícia Poeta |
| author_facet | Vanessa Silva Sara Araújo Manuela Caniça José Eduardo Pereira Gilberto Igrejas Patrícia Poeta |
| author_sort | Vanessa Silva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria poses a significant global health challenge, with ESKAPE pathogens (<i>Enterococcus faecium</i>, <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>, <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>, <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, and <i>Enterobacter</i> spp.) playing a major role in multidrug-resistant infections. While traditionally associated with hospital settings, these bacteria have increasingly been detected in wildlife, suggesting a complex web of transmission between human, animal, and environmental reservoirs. Wildlife may act as both sentinels and reservoirs for resistant pathogens, contributing to their persistence and dissemination across ecosystems. This review explores the presence of ESKAPE bacteria in wild animals, examining their clonal lineages, resistance profiles, and virulence traits. Understanding how these pathogens circulate in natural environments is crucial for designing effective strategies to mitigate antimicrobial resistance. By adopting a One Health perspective—integrating human, animal, and environmental health—efforts to control ESKAPE bacteria can extend beyond clinical interventions to broader ecological and public health frameworks. Addressing this issue requires comprehensive surveillance, responsible antibiotic use, and policies aimed at reducing environmental contamination, ultimately safeguarding both biodiversity and global health. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-46d133d60dca4afda698d6e92f8cfe08 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj-art-46d133d60dca4afda698d6e92f8cfe082025-08-20T02:17:19ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182025-03-0117422010.3390/d17040220Caught in the ESKAPE: Wildlife as Key Players in the Ecology of Resistant Pathogens in a One Health ContextVanessa Silva0Sara Araújo1Manuela Caniça2José Eduardo Pereira3Gilberto Igrejas4Patrícia Poeta5LAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, PortugalMicrobiology and Antibiotic Resistance Team (MicroART), Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalNational Reference Laboratory of Antibiotic Resistances and Healthcare Associated Infections, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, 1649-016 Lisbon, PortugalMicrobiology and Antibiotic Resistance Team (MicroART), Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalLAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, PortugalLAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, PortugalThe emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria poses a significant global health challenge, with ESKAPE pathogens (<i>Enterococcus faecium</i>, <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>, <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>, <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, and <i>Enterobacter</i> spp.) playing a major role in multidrug-resistant infections. While traditionally associated with hospital settings, these bacteria have increasingly been detected in wildlife, suggesting a complex web of transmission between human, animal, and environmental reservoirs. Wildlife may act as both sentinels and reservoirs for resistant pathogens, contributing to their persistence and dissemination across ecosystems. This review explores the presence of ESKAPE bacteria in wild animals, examining their clonal lineages, resistance profiles, and virulence traits. Understanding how these pathogens circulate in natural environments is crucial for designing effective strategies to mitigate antimicrobial resistance. By adopting a One Health perspective—integrating human, animal, and environmental health—efforts to control ESKAPE bacteria can extend beyond clinical interventions to broader ecological and public health frameworks. Addressing this issue requires comprehensive surveillance, responsible antibiotic use, and policies aimed at reducing environmental contamination, ultimately safeguarding both biodiversity and global health.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/4/220ESKAPE pathogensantimicrobial resistancewildlifeOne Healthbacterial transmissionenvironmental reservoirs |
| spellingShingle | Vanessa Silva Sara Araújo Manuela Caniça José Eduardo Pereira Gilberto Igrejas Patrícia Poeta Caught in the ESKAPE: Wildlife as Key Players in the Ecology of Resistant Pathogens in a One Health Context Diversity ESKAPE pathogens antimicrobial resistance wildlife One Health bacterial transmission environmental reservoirs |
| title | Caught in the ESKAPE: Wildlife as Key Players in the Ecology of Resistant Pathogens in a One Health Context |
| title_full | Caught in the ESKAPE: Wildlife as Key Players in the Ecology of Resistant Pathogens in a One Health Context |
| title_fullStr | Caught in the ESKAPE: Wildlife as Key Players in the Ecology of Resistant Pathogens in a One Health Context |
| title_full_unstemmed | Caught in the ESKAPE: Wildlife as Key Players in the Ecology of Resistant Pathogens in a One Health Context |
| title_short | Caught in the ESKAPE: Wildlife as Key Players in the Ecology of Resistant Pathogens in a One Health Context |
| title_sort | caught in the eskape wildlife as key players in the ecology of resistant pathogens in a one health context |
| topic | ESKAPE pathogens antimicrobial resistance wildlife One Health bacterial transmission environmental reservoirs |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/4/220 |
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