ESBL-producing blaTEM-carrying Escherichia coli in cave bats of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

ALFIANA LAILI DWI AGUSTIN (Doctoral Program in Veterinary Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Airlangga. Jl. Dharmahusada Permai No.1, Mulyorejo, Surabaya 60115, East Java, Indonesia)
MUSTOFA HELMI EFFENDI (Departement of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Airlangga. Jl. Dharmahusada Permai No.1, Mulyorejo, Surabaya 60115, East Java, Indonesia)
WIWIEK TYASNINGSIH (Departement of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Airlangga. Jl. Dharmahusada Permai No.1, Mulyorejo, Surabaya 60115, East Java, Indonesia)
ASWIN RAFIF KHAIRULLAH (Research Center for Veterinary Science, National Research and Innovation Agency. Jl. Raya Bogor No.970, Cibinong, Bogor 16915, West Java, Indonesia)
HANI PLUMERIASTUTI (Departement of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Airlangga. Jl. Dharmahusada Permai No.1, Mulyorejo, Surabaya 60115, East Java, Indonesia)
KATTY HENDRIANA PRICILIA RIWU (Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Pendidikan Mandalika. Jl. Pemuda No.59A, Dasan Agung Baru, Mataram 83125, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia)
FIDI NUR AINI EKA PUJI DAMEANTI (Laboratory of Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya. Jl. Puncak Dieng, Kunci, Dau, Malang 65151, East Java, Indonesia)
SHEILA MARTY YANESTRIA (Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Wijaya Kusuma Surabaya. Jl. Dukuh Kupang No.54, Dukuh Kupang, Dukuhpakis, Surabaya 60225, East Java, Indonesia)
JOHN YEW HUAT TANG (School of Food Industry, Faculty of Bioresources, and Food Industry, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (Besut Campus). Jl. Tembila, Besut 22200, Terengganu, Malaysia)
SAIFUR REHMAN (Department of Veterinary Microbiology, The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences. 397 Sector C Rd, Kanju, Swat, Pakistan)

Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity
Vol. 26 No. 8 (2025)

Abstract. Agustin ALD, Effendi MH, Tyasningsih W, Khairullah AR, Plumeriastuti H, Riwu KHP, Dameanti FNAEP, Yanestria SM, Tang JYH, Rehman S. 2025. ESBL-producing blaTEM-carrying Escherichia coli in cave bats of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 26: 3701-3710. Bats are mammals known to carry Escherichia coli in their guano and inhabit diverse environments such as caves, forests, and human settlements. Even without prior antibiotic exposure, bats can harbor antimicrobial-resistant E. coli that may contaminate the environment and threaten public health. This study investigated bat species in Saung Pengembur Cave, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, carrying antibiotic-resistant E. coli. Bats were captured using mist nets from 4:00-10:00 PM, and their species identified through morphological measurements. Rectal swabs were collected aseptically, and bacterial isolation was performed using Eosin Methylene Blue Agar, followed by biochemical identification (IMViC test). Antibiotic susceptibility was assessed using the disk diffusion method, and isolates resistant to more than three antibiotic classes were screened for the bla<sub>TEM</sub> gene via PCR, followed by sequencing for phylogenetic analysis. Of 85 bats captured, 77 were Rhinolophus sp. and 8 Hipposideros diadema. Escherichia coli was isolated from 63 (74.1%) individuals, all exhibiting resistance to at least one antibiotic. Multidrug Resistance (MDR) was observed in 19% (12/63) of isolates, with 9 (75%) carrying the Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) gene bla<sub>TEM</sub>. The highest resistance rates were to azithromycin (46%), followed by tetracycline (23.8%), amoxicillin (20.6%), sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (19%), and ciprofloxacin (16.7%), with no resistance to cefotaxime. Phylogenetic analysis showed close relationships between bat isolates and E. coli from human and poultry sources in Southeast Asia and Australia. These findings highlight the role of bats as reservoirs for ESBL-producing E. coli, underscoring the need for One Health-based surveillance and public awareness regarding bat guano use, to mitigate environmental contamination and reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance transmission to humans, animals, and the environment.