CTX-M-15-type extended-spectrum beta-lactamases-producing Escherichia coli from wild birds in Germany.

The isolation of Escherichia coli from wild birds in Germany revealed the occurrence of four CTX-M-15-producing strains from four different birds (2.3% of 172 isolates). CTX-M producers were recovered from two Eurasian Blackbirds, one Rock Pigeon and a Greater White-fronted Goose. All CTX-M-producing E. coli revealed a clonal relationship as determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and were assigned to multilocus sequence type (ST) 648. Our findings suggest the emergence of a new clone with epidemiological importance and strengthen the role of wild bird species other than waterfowl as possible reservoirs of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae.