Antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacteria in birds from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

We evaluated the antibiotic resistance of bacteria isolated from cloacal swabs of wild birds collected with mist nets in the Jequitinhonha river valley, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A total of 191 isolates from 19 individuals of 16 species was obtained and tested for resistance to five antibiotics. At Salto da Divisa 97% of the isolates exhibited a resistant phenotype, and resistance to more than one antibiotic was frequent (71%). At Jequitinhonha 36% of isolates were resistant, but 94% showed resistance to only one antibiotic. Of the five antibiotics tested, resistance to ampicillin was most frequent (in both areas), whereas kanamycin resistance was found in only one isolate. The data here obtained and other data reported in the literature show that the general premise that antibiotic-resistant bacteria arise primarily in hospitals or animal farms should be reconsidered.