Extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli with chromosomally integrated resistance genes isolated from a wild Asian black bear
Michiyo SUGIYAMA, Tomoya MORIMOTO, Tetsuo ASAI · 2026
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Description
Sugiyama, Morimoto, and Asai report finding drug-resistant bacteria in an Asian black bear in Japan, a worrying sign of human pollution in nature. From droppings collected in a persimmon orchard in 2025, they isolated an Escherichia coli strain carrying ESBL, an enzyme that defeats several frontline drugs. The 2026 genome analysis showed the resistance genes were built into the bacterium's chromosome. The strain resisted five tested drugs, including ampicillin and tetracycline.
Its genes sat close to isolates from a pig farmer in Vietnam and from Japanese slaughterhouse wastewater. They sat within a few dozen DNA letter differences, hinting at recent shared ancestry across the human-animal boundary. Dropping DNA showed a mostly wild plant diet, so the bear likely picked the bacterium up from its surroundings. The authors warn wildlife can become a reservoir spreading such bacteria back toward people.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Michiyo SUGIYAMA, Tomoya MORIMOTO, Tetsuo ASAI |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 19 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |