Upsurge of antibiotic resistance in wildlife poses unprecedented threat to wildlife conservation. Surveillance of antibiotic resistance at the human–wildlife interface is therefore needed. We evaluated differences in antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli isolates from human and the endangered black rhinoceros in Lambwe Valley, Kenya. We used standard microbiological techniques to carry out susceptibility assays using eight antibiotics of clinical and veterinary importance. Standard PCR method was used to characterize antibiotic resistance genes. There was no difference in resistance between E. coli isolates from human and those from rhinoceros (U = 25, p = 0.462). However, higher resistance in isolates from humans was noted for cotrimoxazole (p = 0.000, OR = 0.101), ceftriaxone (p = 0.005, OR = 0.113) and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (p = 0.017, OR = 0.258), whereas isolates from rhinoceros showed higher gentamicin resistance (p = 0.001, OR = 10.154). Multi-drug resistance phenotype was 69.0% in humans and 43.3% in rhinoceros. Isolates from both species contained bla_TEM, tetA, tetB, dfrA1 and sul1 genes. Resistance profiles in the two species suggest potential for cross-transfer of resistance genes or exposure to comparable selective pressure and call for a multi-sectorial action plan on surveillance of antibiotic resistance at the human–wildlife interface. Genome-wide studies are needed to explicate the direction of transfer of genes that confer antibiotic resistance at the human–wildlife interface.

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肯尼亚人和黑犀牛对大肠杆菌的耐药性

野生生物中抗生素耐药性的高涨对野生生物保护提出了前所未有的威胁。因此，需要在人与野生动物的界面进行抗生素耐药性监测。我们评估了肯尼亚兰伯威河谷人类和濒临灭绝的黑犀牛大肠杆菌分离株的抗药性差异。我们使用标准的微生物学技术使用八种具有临床和兽医重要性的抗生素进行药敏试验。使用标准PCR方法表征抗生素抗性基因。来自人和来自犀牛的大肠杆菌分离株之间的耐药性没有差异（U  = 25，p = 0.462）。然而，发现考特莫唑（p  = 0.000，OR = 0.101），头孢曲松钠（p  = 0.005，OR = 0.113）和阿莫西林/克拉维酸（p  = 0.017，OR = 0.258）在人类分离株中具有更高的耐药性。犀牛对庆大霉素的耐药性更高（p  = 0.001，OR = 10.154）。人的多药耐药性表型为69.0％，犀牛为43.3％。这两个物种的分离物均包含bla _TEM，tetA，tetB，dfrA1和sul1基因。这两个物种的抗药性资料表明，抗药性基因可能交叉转移或暴露于相当的选择性压力下，并呼吁制定一项多部门行动计划，以监测人与野生动物交界处的抗生素抗性。需要进行全基因组研究以阐明在人与野生动物交界处赋予抗生素抗性的基因的转移方向。