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Meta-Analysis
. 2025 Jan 11;21(1):14.
doi: 10.1186/s12917-024-04462-5.

Antimicrobial resistance in wild game mammals: a glimpse into the contamination of wild habitats in a systematic review and meta-analysis

Claire Julie Akwongo  1   2   3 , Luca Borrelli  1   3 , Kurt Houf  2 , Alessandro Fioretti  1 , Maria Francesca Peruzy  4 , Nicoletta Murru  1   3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Antimicrobial resistance in wild game mammals: a glimpse into the contamination of wild habitats in a systematic review and meta-analysis

Claire Julie Akwongo et al. BMC Vet Res. .

Abstract

Background: Wild game meat has over the years gained popularity across the globe as it is considered a food source with high protein content, low fat content, and a balanced composition of fatty acids and minerals, which are requirements for a healthy diet. Despite this popularity, there is a concern over its safety as many species of wildlife are reservoirs of zoonotic diseases including those of bacterial origin, more so antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Methods: This study aimed to describe the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in mammalian wild game, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Results: The overall pooled prevalence of antibiotic resistance was established at 59.8% while the prevalence of multidrug resistance (MDR) was 17.2%. Resistance was reported in 32 wild game species and the meta-analysis revealed the highest prevalence of antibiotic resistance in Yersinia spp. (95.5%; CI: 76.8 - 100%) followed by Enterococcus spp. (71%; CI: 44.1 - 92%), Salmonella spp. (69.9%; CI: 44.3 - 90.0%), Staphylococcus spp. (69.3%; CI: 40.3 - 92.3%), and Escherichia coli (39.5%; CI: 23.9 - 56.4%). Most notably, resistance to highest priority, critically important antimicrobials, was recorded in all genera of bacteria studied. Additionally, a significantly higher prevalence of antibiotic resistance was observed in studies conducted in remote settings than those in the vicinity of anthropogenic activities, pointing to extensive contamination of wild habitats.

Conclusion: This review shows the presence of antibiotic resistance and the carriage of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes by bacteria isolated from mammalian wild game species. This is a cause for concern if critical steps to prevent transmission to humans from meat and meat products are not applied in the wild game meat production chain. The extensive occurrence of antibiotic resistance in the wild calls for expansion and adaptation of future AMR surveillance plans to include areas with various anthropogenic pressures including in sylvatic habitats.

Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance; Epidemiology; Food safety; One health.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flow diagram for studies selection for the systematic review and meta-analysis of antibiotic resistance in mammalian wild game for study periods up to April 2023
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Graphical representation of number of studies conducted on antibiotic resistance in mammalian wild game species up to April 2023
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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