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Background: Animal husbandry practices in different livestock production systems and increased livestock-wildlife interactions are thought to be primary drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs). Despite a tenfold increase in the camel population within the last decade, paired with widespread use of camel products, there is a lack of comprehensive information concerning beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) within these production systems., Objectives: Our study sought to establish an AMR profile and to identify and characterise emerging beta-lactamase-producing E. coli isolated from faecal samples obtained from camel herds in Northern Kenya., Methods: The antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of E. coli isolates were established using the disk diffusion method, with beta-lactamase (bla) gene PCR product sequencing performed for phylogenetic grouping and genetic diversity assessments., Results: Here we show, among the recovered E. coli isolates (n = 123), the highest level of resistance was observed for cefaclor at 28.5% of isolates, followed by cefotaxime at 16.3% and ampicillin at 9.7%. Moreover, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli harbouring the bla CTX-M-15 or bla CTX-M-27 genes were detected in 3.3% of total samples, and are associated with phylogenetic groups B1, B2 and D. Multiple variants of non-ESBL bla TEM genes were detected, the majority of which were the bla TEM-1 and bla TEM-116 genes., Conclusions: Findings from this study shed light on the increased occurrence of ESBL- and non-ESBL-encoding gene variants in E. coli isolates with demonstrated multidrug resistant phenotypes. This study highlights the need for an expanded One Health approach to understanding AMR transmission dynamics, drivers of AMR development, and appropriate practices for antimicrobial stewardship in camel production systems within ASALs., (© 2023 The Authors. Veterinary Medicine and Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Focusing on the utility of ticks as xenosurveillance sentinels to expose circulating pathogens in Kenyan drylands, host-feeding ticks collected from wild ungulates [buffaloes, elephants, giraffes, hartebeest, impala, rhinoceros (black and white), zebras (Grévy's and plains)], carnivores (leopards, lions, spotted hyenas, wild dogs), as well as regular domestic and Boran cattle were screened for pathogens using metagenomics. A total of 75 host-feeding ticks [ Rhipicephalus (97.3%) and Amblyomma (2.7%)] collected from 15 vertebrate taxa were sequenced in 46 pools. Fifty-six pathogenic bacterial species were detected in 35 pools analyzed for pathogens and relative abundances of major phyla. The most frequently observed species was Escherichia coli (62.8%), followed by Proteus mirabilis (48.5%) and Coxiella burnetii (45.7%). Francisella tularemia and Jingmen tick virus (JMTV) were detected in 14.2 and 13% of the pools, respectively, in ticks collected from wild animals and cattle. This is one of the first reports of JMTV in Kenya, and phylogenetic reconstruction revealed significant divergence from previously known isolates and related viruses. Eight fungal species with human pathogenicity were detected in 5 pools (10.8%). The vector-borne filarial pathogens ( Brugia malayi, Dirofilaria immitis, Loa loa ), protozoa ( Plasmodium spp., Trypanosoma cruzi ), and environmental and water-/food-borne pathogens ( Entamoeba histolytica, Encephalitozoon intestinalis, Naegleria fowleri, Schistosoma spp., Toxoplasma gondii , and Trichinella spiralis ) were detected. Documented viruses included human mastadenovirus C, Epstein-Barr virus and bovine herpesvirus 5, Trinbago virus, and Guarapuava tymovirus-like virus 1. Our findings confirmed that host-feeding ticks are an efficient sentinel for xenosurveillance and demonstrate clear potential for wildlife-livestock-human pathogen transfer in the Kenyan landscape., Competing Interests: MM was employed by Kenya Wildlife Services Corporation. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Ergunay, Mutinda, Bourke, Justi, Caicedo-Quiroga, Kamau, Mutura, Akunda, Cook, Gakuya, Omondi, Murray, Zimmerman and Linton.)