Results

Hello to all of you!

After some time of analysis, it is now possible to share the first results of the research:

243 nest out of the 547 active nests counted this year, were sampled at Cachagua. Of these, three were positive to Salmonella (prevalence of 1,23%). All three samples showed multi-resistance to four different broad-spectrum antibiotics used in human medicine for the treatment of salmonellosis, as well as throat and urinary tract infections.

Of 41 of 46 nests sampled at Pájaro Niños Islet, one was positive (prevalence of 2.44%). This sample has possible resistance, but further tests are needed to determine the specific antibiotic.

The findings of this study are deeply worrying. Both populations showed not only Salmonella infections but also signs of multi-resistances to antibiotics used to treat human infections. Whilst pathways of transmissions are still unclear, this results highlight that our activities (human and domestic animals infections and their treatments) are creating reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wildlife populations with unknown future consequences, not only for the conservation of these penguin populations but also our health.

One limitation of the present pilot study was the number of locations or different populations sampled. A follow-on study is needed to be done on a larger scale to increase the number of colonies and individuals in order to obtain more robust data.

Thanks to this project, a collaboration has been established with the Visavet laboratory in Madrid, Spain, in which genotyping of these bacteria will be carried out to establish transmission origins, mechanisms of resistance and virulence. Samples were also taken from birds in the surrounding area to establish these possible origins. The early results of this are promising, as we are potentially identifying a worldwide emerging antibiotic resistance gene in humans and poultry that has only been identified once before in wildlife.

All this would not have been possible without your help, so once again I would like to thank you for all the support you have given me, which has opened doors to the world of research and is the beginning of many important discoveries for global health. I hope to be able to announce the first scientific publications of these results soon!