An Unusual ’Gift’ from Humans: Third-Generation Cephalosporin-Resistant Enterobacterales in migratory birds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway harboring widespread resistant plasmids

Migratory birds, particularly shorebirds, are key to the global spread of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). A study collected 893 swabs from 480 shorebirds at Chongming Dongtan identified six strains of E. coli and K. pneumoniae that showed resistance to third-generation cephalosporins. The study also found two conjugative plasmids carrying the blaCMY-2 gene in E. coli and the blaKPC-2 gene in K. pneumoniae. These plasmids, primarily from human sources, highlight the need for international collaboration under a One Health framework.