New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase-5-producing Escherichia coli ST48 isolated from Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla).

Carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli are frequently related to healthcare-associated infections. Still, those have been reported from variable sources, including wild and zoo animals, posing a substantial threat to the conservation of animal species vulnerable to extinction. In this study, we reported an NDM-5-producing E. coli ST 48 isolated from rectal swab collected on April 21st, 2024 from a healthy Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) in a Brazilian Zoo. The E. coli strain showed antimicrobial-resistant genes to quinolones, tetracyclines, and beta-lactams, including carbapenems, cephalosporins, and penicillins, besides a wide range of virulence factors encoding genes. Phylogenomic analysis showed that the NDM-5-producing E. coli ST48 strain clustered with lineages from Myanmar and China. Its blaNDM-5 genetic context shared insertion sequences and adjacent genes with other ST48 strains. This is the first report of NDM-5-producing E. coli isolated from a zoo animal in Brazil, highlighting the potential to species conservation and the importance of monitoring antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in zoo animals.