Antibiotic susceptibility of faecal bacteria in Antarctic penguins

Faecal bacteria from 49 Gentoo penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula were identified by biochemical methods and sequencing, and tested for antibiotic susceptibility using agar dilution. Of the 42 Enterobacteriaceae isolates found, 39 belonged to the genus Edwardsiella. All isolates were susceptible to the 17 antibiotics tested. This implies that antibiotic selection pressure is a prerequisite to a high prevalence of antibiotic resistance, and in the absence of contact with human activities, antibiotic resistance in Enterobacteriaceae remains undetectable.