VETERINARY MEDICINE: Transmission of antibiotic resistant E. coli mapped in wild giraffe social networks.

VETERINARY MEDICINE: Transmission of antibiotic resistant E. coli mapped in wild giraffe social networks.A team has shown that antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli bacteria in wild giraffes most likely come from anthropogenic sources, such as local cattle herds and humans. The team from the University of Minnesota has shown that antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli bacteria in wild giraffes most likely come from anthropogenic sources, such as local cattle herds and humans. The research is published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. They found that the majority of antibiotic resistance genes identified in giraffe E. coli had been previously identified in E. coli from both humans and domestic cattle in East Africa. Giraffes three months of age or younger were more likely to harbor antibiotic resistant E. coli than other age groups. This is a surprise as giraffe neonates nurse from their mothers exclusively and interact minimally with other group members, leading to a prediction they would have low exposure to resistant bacteria and residual antibiotics in their environment. The result suggest there may be competition between antibiotic resistant and susceptible E. coli strains in the giraffe neonatal gut, with resistant E. coli having a selective advantage.