Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in ESBL-Producing Escherichia coli Isolates from Animals in Greece.

Annett Reissig,Sascha D Braun,Celia Diezel,Stefan Monecke,Dimitris C Chatzopoulos,Vassiliki Spyrou,Martin Reinicke,Ralf Ehricht,Alexios Giannakopoulos,Charalambos Billinis,Zoi Athanasakopoulou,Efthymia Petinaki,Katerina Tsilipounidaki,Marina Sofia

doi:10.3390/antibiotics10040389

Abstract

The prevalence of multidrug resistant, extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae is increasing worldwide. The present study aimed to provide an overview of the multidrug resistance phenotype and genotype of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolates of livestock and wild bird origin in Greece. Nineteen phenotypically confirmed ESBL-producing E. coli strains isolated from fecal samples of cattle (n = 7), pigs (n = 11) and a Eurasian magpie that presented resistance to at least one class of non β-lactam antibiotics, were selected and genotypically characterized. A DNA-microarray based assay was used, which allows the detection of various genes associated with antimicrobial resistance. All isolates harbored blaCTX-M-1/15, while blaTEM was co-detected in 13 of them. The AmpC gene blaMIR was additionally detected in one strain. Resistance genes were also reported for aminoglycosides in all 19 isolates, for quinolones in 6, for sulfonamides in 17, for trimethoprim in 14, and for macrolides in 8. The intI1 and/or tnpISEcp1 genes, associated with mobile genetic elements, were identified in all but two isolates. This report describes the first detection of multidrug resistance genes among ESBL-producing E. coli strains retrieved from feces of cattle, pigs, and a wild bird in Greece, underlining their dissemination in diverse ecosystems and emphasizing the need for a One-Health approach when addressing the issue of antimicrobial resistance.

Highlights

The emergence and dissemination of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria currently constitutes a major public health concern
The 19 selected E. coli isolates from cattle (n = 7), pigs (n = 11) and a Eurasian magpie (Pica pica) presented resistance to penicillins, third, and fourth generation cephalosporins, while they were susceptible to carbapenems
The present study reports the antimicrobial resistance profile of 19 ESBL-producing E. coli strains isolated from cattle (n = 7), pigs (n = 11) and a Eurasian magpie in Greece

Summary

Introduction

The emergence and dissemination of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria currently constitutes a major public health concern. ESBLs are enzymes that hydrolyze penicillins, first to third generation cephalosporins as well as aztreonam, at a rate that exceeds 10% of their hydrolysis rate for benzylpenicillin They are inhibited by βlactamase inhibitors such as clavulanic acid and utilize serine for β-lactam hydrolysis [1,2]. Co-occurrence, on the same plasmid, of resistance determinants for cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, tetracycline, sulfonamides, carbapenems, and quinolones has been reported and is speculated to provide ESBL genes an advantage for maintenance due to co-selection processes [7,8]. Such plasmids carry toxin/antitoxin systems that enforce maintenance, even in the absence of antimicrobial selective pressure [9]. Mobile genetic elements—including insertion sequences, integrons, and transposons—have significantly facilitated mobilization of blaCTX-M onto different types of plasmids which assist the spread of ESBLs to a wide variety of hosts [11], rendering ESBL-producing E. coli an issue of great zoonotic importance

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