The first report of isolated from non-human primates, in Africa.

The aim of this study was to determine the resistance phenotypes of selected enteric bacteria isolated from non-human primates at a wildlife-human interface. Bacterial isolates from faecal samples of non-human primates at two wildlife rehabilitation centres in South Africa were screened for the presence of . The biochemical characterisation of and -like bacteria revealed both adonitol positive and sorbitol negative strains - a unique characteristic of and K99. Further tests were carried out to identify the isolates, namely growth on Simmons citrate agar supplemented with 2% adonitol and biochemical tests based on their ability to ferment cellobiose and d-arabitol. Antimicrobial sensitivity was determined with microbroth dilution tests employing microtitre plates with 21 different antimicrobial drugs. Molecular characterisation was done with a duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay that targeted the and genes. strains were confirmed by the presence of a 233 bp segment of the gene and a 432 bp segment of the gene. Twenty-three -like bacteria were confirmed as based on the confirmatory tests and they were in 100% agreement. Approximately 87% of them were resistant to polymyxins B and E (colistin) as well as the carbapenem group with occasional resistance to amikacin. This is the first reported isolation and identification of strains in non-human primates. The findings point to as a possible emerging pathogen of zoonotic importance.