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Acinetobacter bereziniae co-producing NDM-1 and OXA-58 causing pneumonia and stomatitis in a Burmese python (Python

Gabriel Siqueira Dos Santos1, Julia de Menezes Macedo Pausa2, Caroline da Costa Abrahão2

  • 1Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance
|August 12, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter, a threat in hospitals, was found in a python. This carbapenem-resistant strain highlights risks to wildlife and the need for One Health surveillance.

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Medicine
  • Microbiology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter (CPA) are multidrug-resistant pathogens primarily linked to healthcare-associated infections.
  • CPA are increasingly identified in wildlife populations, particularly those in contact with human environments, indicating potential environmental dissemination.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report and characterize a carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter bereziniae strain isolated from a fatal case of pneumonia and stomatitis in a Burmese python.
  • To investigate the genetic basis of carbapenem resistance in the identified strain.
  • To assess the phylogenetic relationship of the python isolate to known Acinetobacter strains.

Main Methods:

  • Whole genome sequencing was performed on the Acinetobacter bereziniae isolate.
  • Plasmid-borne carbapenemase genes (blaNDM-1 and blaOXA-58) were identified.
  • Phylogenomic analysis was conducted to determine the evolutionary relationship of the strain.

Main Results:

  • A carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter bereziniae strain was identified in a rescued Burmese python with fatal pneumonia and stomatitis.
  • The strain harbored plasmid-borne blaNDM-1 and blaOXA-58 genes, conferring carbapenem resistance.
  • Phylogenomic analysis revealed that the python isolate is closely related to human clinical isolates.

Conclusions:

  • This study demonstrates the emergence of carbapenemase-producing bacteria in wildlife, posing a potential threat to animal and public health.
  • The findings underscore the importance of a One Health approach for surveillance of multidrug-resistant pathogens.
  • Wildlife can act as reservoirs or sentinels for clinically relevant antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.
Keywords:
Antibiotic resistanceBioinformaticsCarbapenemWild animal

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