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Edited: Feb 13

How Foxes Can Help Us Fight Against Zoonoses And Superbugs

If you’ve ever watched a fox dart through a field or explore your backyard, you might think of them as clever, curious creatures. But did you know they could also be key players in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance? A new study suggests that wildlife, including foxes, can act as "sentinels," helping scientists track the spread of superbugs in our environment.

What Is Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)?

Antimicrobial resistance or AMR, happens when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to resist the drugs designed to kill them. This means antibiotics and other medicines become less effective, making infections harder to treat. Not only does this threaten human medicine, but it also impacts veterinary care and wildlife health.

This resistance is often fueled by human activities, like overusing antibiotics in medicine and farming. When these resistant bacteria escape into the environment—through waste, water, or soil—they don’t just stay put. They spread, and wildlife unknowingly helps them travel even further.

Foxes as Sentinels: Nature’s Warning System

Foxes, like many other wild animals, roam through diverse habitats. As they scavenge, hunt, and interact with their surroundings, they pick up bacteria from soil, water, and even human waste. If those bacteria carry resistance genes, foxes can transport them across landscapes.

By studying foxes and other wildlife, scientists can detect where AMR is emerging, how it’s spreading, and which ecosystems are most at risk. For example, studies have found resistant bacteria in urban foxes, showing how cities can act as hotspots for AMR spread.

Think of foxes as environmental detectives. The bacteria they carry tell a story of what’s happening in nature, much like how canaries once warned miners of dangerous gases underground.

Why This Matters for Us

You might wonder—what does a fox in the forest have to do with human health? A lot, actually. The environment plays a huge role in how superbugs move between animals, people, and ecosystems. If we only monitor AMR in hospitals and farms, we’re missing a big piece of the puzzle.

By including wildlife in AMR surveillance, researchers can:

Spot emerging threats before they become widespread
Understand how resistance spreads through the environment
Improve policies to control AMR at a global scale

Overuse of Veterinary Medicines and AMR

While we often associate AMR with antibiotics, other veterinary treatments—like flea medications—also contribute to the problem. There is growing concern that many flea treatments contain insecticides and other chemicals that can fuel antimicrobial resistance. Here’s how:

Chemical Exposure: Some flea treatments are designed with broad-spectrum action against various pests, including bacteria. Overuse of these treatments can expose microbial populations to low levels of these chemicals, allowing bacteria to evolve and adapt over time.
Environmental Impact: Flea treatments are often flushed out of pets' systems or washed off, ending up in the environment. This leads to persistent exposure of local microbes to sub-lethal concentrations of chemicals, which may encourage resistance.
Resistance in Pathogens: Some flea treatments, particularly antiparasitics, can unintentionally affect microbes, including those harmful to both animals and humans. If these treatments are overused, they may promote resistance, making future infections harder to treat.

What Can We Do?

While scientists work on integrating wildlife into AMR monitoring, we can all play a role in reducing antimicrobial resistance:

Use antibiotics responsibly—only when prescribed by a vet.
Support sustainable farming practices that reduce antibiotic use.
Protect natural habitats, which helps maintain balanced ecosystems less prone to AMR spread.
Advocate for responsible pet care, choosing flea treatments wisely and avoiding overuse of chemical-based products.
Always practice good hygiene after interacting with animals, including washing your hands and checking for ticks or fleas.
Minimise pesticide use and maintain a wildlife-friendly garden to support a healthier ecosystem.

Sentinels Beyond AMR

Foxes don’t just help track AMR; they also play a crucial role in monitoring zoonotic diseases—illnesses that spread between animals and humans. Here are four "emerging and resurging" zoonotic diseases that foxes could help researchers track:

Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii) – A widespread parasite that foxes acquire from eating infected prey. It poses risks to pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals, making foxes valuable indicators of environmental contamination.
Lyme Disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) – A tick-borne disease that can cause severe illness in humans. Foxes influence Lyme disease risk by preying on rodents, key reservoirs of Borrelia.
Babesiosis (Babesia spp.) – Another tick-borne disease that can lead to flu-like symptoms in humans. Foxes help track its spread by hosting tick populations.
Bartonella (Bartonella spp.) – Also known as "Cat-Scratch Disease," this bacterial infection is transmitted by fleas and can cause fever, swollen lymph nodes, and complications in humans. Foxes, as flea hosts, can indicate its presence in the environment.
Leptospirosis (Leptospira spp.) – A bacterial infection spread through urine-contaminated water, often linked to rodents. Foxes, which prey on rodents and frequent water sources, can help identify Leptospira hotspots.

The Bigger Picture

Several studies from other countries, have already investigated the potential for zoonotic diseases in foxes, highlighting their role as environmental sentinels:

A Retrospective Serosurvey of Selected Pathogens in Red Foxes: This study examined red foxes for various zoonotic pathogens, including Anaplasma spp. and Ehrlichia spp., highlighting the role of foxes as reservoirs for diseases that can affect both animals and humans.
Echinococcus multilocularis and Other Zoonotic Parasites in Red Foxes in Estonia: Researchers investigated the parasite fauna of red foxes in Estonia, identifying 17 endoparasite taxa, including ten zoonotic species. Notably, the study found a 31.5% prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis, a causative agent of alveolar echinococcosis in humans.
Survey of Common Infectious Diseases in Urban Foxes (Vulpes spp.) in Southeastern Iran: This research assessed urban foxes for various infectious diseases, including visceral leishmaniasis, rabies, and gastrointestinal helminths. The findings underscore the potential health risks posed by urban fox populations to humans and domestic animals.
Survey of Zoonotic Bacterial Pathogens in Native Foxes in Central Chile: The study aimed to detect exposure to Brucella abortus, Brucella canis, and pathogenic Leptospira in native foxes. It provided insights into the role of wild canids in the epidemiology of brucellosis and leptospirosis.
Echinococcus multilocularis and Other Zoonotic Helminths in Red Foxes in Poland: This research focused on the prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis and other zoonotic helminths in red foxes, emphasizing the public health implications of these parasites.

These studies reinforce the importance of monitoring fox populations for zoonotic diseases, as they can serve as reservoirs and indicators of pathogens that pose risks to both humans and animals.

Final Thoughts

Foxes and other wildlife aren’t just charming creatures to admire—they’re essential players in the One Health approach, which recognises the deep connection between human, animal, and environmental health.

By paying closer attention to what wildlife can teach us, we can take smarter steps to tackle one of the biggest health challenges of our time.

So next time you spot a fox, remember: they’re not just survivors in the wild—they’re also guardians of global health.

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