Antimicrobial Resistance of Salmonella spp. Isolates and Heavy Metal Traces from Rodent Meat Purchased from Roadside Markets, Central Thailand

Insects, Rodents, and Pets as Reservoirs, Vectors, and Sentinels of Antimicrobial Resistance

This paper reviews the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in insects, rodents, and pets. Insects (e.g., houseflies, cockroaches), rodents (rats, mice), and pets (dogs, cats) act as reservoirs of AMR for first-line and last-resort antimicrobial agents. AMR proliferates in insects, rodents, and pets, and their skin and gut systems. Subsequently, insects, rodents, and pets act as vectors that disseminate AMR to humans via direct contact, human food contamination, and horizontal gene transfer. Thus, insects, rodents, and pets might act as sentinels or bioindicators of AMR. Human health risks are discussed, including those unique to low-income countries. Current evidence on human health risks is largely inferential and based on qualitative data, but comprehensive statistics based on quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) are still lacking. Hence, tracing human health risks of AMR to insects, rodents, and pets, remains a challenge. To safeguard human health, mitigation measures are proposed, based on the one-health approach. Future research should include human health risk analysis using QMRA, and the application of in-silico techniques, genomics, network analysis, and ’big data’ analytical tools to understand the role of household insects, rodents, and pets in the persistence, circulation, and health risks of AMR.

Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella enterica Isolated in Paca (Cuniculus paca) Carcasses from the Belen Market, Iquitos, Perú

The consumption of wildlife meat is traditionally accepted in the Peruvian Amazon; however, little is known about the pathogens present in this type of food. One of the most frequently consumed species is a rodent, the paca (Cuniculus paca) or "majaz" in the Peruvian language. The objective of this study was to determine the presence of Salmonella enterica and its antimicrobial resistance profile in paca carcasses sold in the Belen Market of Iquitos-Peru. An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out. Fresh and smoked paca carcasses (72 samples) were evaluated during the low-rain period (July 2019) in the traditional market of Iquitos, in the Amazonian Region. Meat samples were swabbed, and International Standards Organization (ISO) 6579-1: 2017 protocol was followed to Salmonella isolation. Antimicrobial susceptibility analysis was performed by the disk diffusion method. In addition, serotyping was performed by using the Kauffmann-White scheme. A total of 25 strains of S. enterica were isolated in the paca carcasses, mainly in fresh carcasses (48.6%). The serovars isolated were Agona (45.8%), Infantis (41.7%), Wangata (8.3%), and Javiana (4.2%). A considerable number of the isolated strains were multidrug resistant (40%). The highest prevalence of resistance corresponded to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (64%) followed by nitrofurantoin (44%), chloramphenicol (40%), cefotaxime (40%), and nalidixic acid (40%). Ten strains isolated (40%) were identified as producers of extended spectrum beta lactamases, all in S. enterica serovar Infantis. This study describes the presence of Salmonella Infantis with multidrug resistance profiles in wildlife meat carcasses, making the consumption of this type of products a risk factor for the development of foodborne diseases in the Amazon region. Institutional Review Board: Approval Resolution of Thesis Project: N° 024-DACMVZ-DAFCVB-U.CIENTÍFICA-2019.

Perception of health risks in Lao market vendors

Wet markets are a critical part of South‐East Asian culture and economy. However, their role in circulation and transmission of both endemic and emerging disease is a source of concern in a region considered a hotspot of disease emergence. In the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR, Laos), live and dead wild animals are frequently found in wet markets, despite legislation against the bushmeat trade. This is generally considered to increase the risk of disease transmission and emergence, although whether or not wildlife vendors themselves have indeed increased incidence of zoonotic disease has rarely been assessed. In preparation for a future longitudinal study of market vendors investigating vendors’ exposure to zoonotic pathogens, we conducted a pilot survey of Lao market vendors of wildlife meat, livestock meat and vegetables, to identify demographic characteristics and potential control groups within markets. We also investigated baseline risk perception for infectious diseases among market vendors and assessed the association between risk perception and risk mitigation behaviours. The surveys conducted with 177 vendors revealed similar age, sex, ethnic background and geographical origin between vendor types, but differences in professional background and work history for livestock meat vendors. The perception of disease risk was very low across all vendors, as was the reported use of personal protective equipment, and the two appeared unrelated. Personal risk discounting and assumptions about transmission routes may explain this lack of association. This information will help inform the development of future research, risk communication and risk mitigation policy, especially in the light of the COVID‐19 pandemic.