Vet World   Vol.18   May-2025  Article - 12 

Ecological and public health dimensions of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in bats: A One Health perspective

Alfiana Laili Dwi Agustin^1,2 , Aswin Rafif Khairullah³ , Mustofa Helmi Effendi⁴ , Wiwiek Tyasningsih⁵ , Ikechukwu Benjamin Moses⁶ , Budiastuti Budiastuti⁷ , Hani Plumeriastuti⁸ , Sheila Marty Yanestria⁹ , Katty Hendriana Priscilia Riwu² , Fidi Nur Aini Eka Puji Dameanti¹⁰ , Wasito Wasito³ , Riza Zainuddin Ahmad³ , Agus Widodo¹¹ , and Daniah Ashri Afnani¹²

Background and Aim: The emergence and global dissemination of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli represent a major public health concern. While antibiotic resistance in clinical and agricultural settings is well documented, the contribution of wildlife, particularly bats, to the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains underexplored. Bats possess unique ecological traits – such as long-distance flight, longevity, and adaptability – that facilitate their role as potential reservoirs and vectors of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This review synthesizes global findings on the occurrence, genetic characteristics, and transmission dynamics of ESBL-producing E. coli isolated from bats. Through a comprehensive literature review of studies conducted across five continents, we highlight the prevalence of multidrug-resistant E. coli in bat populations, with resistance profiles frequently including β-lactams (bla), aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, and fluoroquinolones. Notably, key ESBL genes such as blaCTX-M, blaTEM, blaSHV, and blaOXA have been identified in isolates from bat feces (guano), raising significant concern due to potential environmental contamination and zoonotic spillover. Risk factors such as habitat encroachment, anthropogenic waste exposure, and the agricultural use of bat guano further exacerbate the risk of ESBL transmission. Moreover, genomic comparisons suggest phylogenetic overlap between ESBL-producing E. coli from bats and those found in humans and livestock. Given these findings, bats warrant greater inclusion in One Health surveillance frameworks to trace AMR gene flow and develop targeted interventions. This review underscores the need for integrated AMR monitoring in wildlife, enhanced waste management policies, and stricter biosecurity to mitigate the public health risks associated with wildlife-origin ESBL dissemination.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance, bats, Escherichia coli, extended-spectrum β-lactamase, guano, One Health, surveillance, zoonosis.

How to cite this article: Agustin ALD, Khairullah AR, Effendi MH, Tyasningsih W, Moses IB, Budiastuti B, Plumeriastuti H, Yanestria SM, Riwu KHP, Dameanti FNAEP, Wasito W, Ahmad RZ, Widodo A, and Afnani DA (2025) Ecological and public health dimensions of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in bats: A One Health perspective, Veterinary World, 18(5): 1199-1213.

Received: 14-11-2024   Accepted: 16-04-2025   Published online: 17-05-2025

Corresponding author: Wiwiek Tyasningsih    E-mail: wiwiek-t@fkh.unair.ac.id

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.1199-1213

Copyright: Agustin, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.