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Forty Percent of Bacterial Isolates From Red-naped Ibis Were Multidrug-resistant

Red-naped Ibis standing in open grassland
Research · Disease, parasites & microbiology

Multidrug-resistant bacteria from the order Enterobacterales were found in fecal samples from wild red-naped ibises (Pseudibis papillosa) in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India, in a study published in July 2026. Researchers collected 45 non-invasive fecal samples and analysed 60 bacterial isolates for diversity and antibiotic susceptibility. Enterobacterales are a broad group of Gram-negative bacteria that includes many intestinal and environmental bacteria, some of which can act as opportunistic pathogens.

The researchers identified four bacterial taxa in the samples: Enterobacter mori, Enterobacter soli, Citrobacter freundii and Leclercia adecarboxylata. The authors reported E. mori and E. soli from red-naped ibis for the first time globally.

Forty percent referred to bacterial isolates, not birds

Forty percent of the 60 isolates — not 40% of the sampled birds — were resistant to at least three antibiotic classes and were therefore classified as multidrug-resistant. The researchers also recorded resistance to the third-generation cephalosporin cefotaxime and reduced susceptibility to the carbapenem imipenem. All isolates were resistant to linezolid and rifampicin, but the authors note that this is consistent with intrinsic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria and should not be interpreted in the same way as newly acquired resistance.

Carriage in feces did not show disease or transmission

The authors noted that wild birds using urban areas, wetlands and agricultural land can deposit resistant bacteria through their feces. They concluded that red-naped ibises may therefore contribute to the environmental spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with potential relevance for both human and wildlife health. The fecal isolates document bacterial carriage and shedding, however; the study did not show that the birds were ill or directly demonstrate transmission from ibises to people or other animals.

Sources and image credit

  1. Kumari, A., Koli, V. K., & Singh, N. A. (2026). Diversity and antibiotic profile of Enterobacterales spp. bacteria from Red-naped ibis. EcoHealth. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-026-01815-4Primary research article. Investigated 45 fecal samples from wild Red-naped Ibises in Udaipur and 60 bacterial isolates; reported 40% multidrug resistance among isolates.
  2. National Library of Medicine. (2026). PubMed record: Diversity and antibiotic profile of Enterobacterales spp. bacteria from Red-naped ibis (PMID 42496816).Bibliographic record and published abstract confirming first publication date, methods, bacterial taxa and antibiotic-resistance results.

Image: Dr. Raju Kasambe — Red-naped Ibis (Pseudibis papillosa), Amravati, Maharashtra, India, 1 November 2018; Wikimedia Commons. Representative image for this story; not presented as an animal or scene from the reported study or event. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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