Abstract
Carbapenems are broad-spectrum antibiotics widely used for the treatment of human infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria. However, emerging carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) are rising as a public threat to human and animal health. We screened clinical bacterial isolates from 241 dogs and 18 cats hospitalized at Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, Seoul National University, from 2018 to 2020 for carbapenemase production. In our study, 5 strains of metallo-β-lactamase NDM-5-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were isolated from 4 different dogs. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) results showed that all E. coli strains were ST410 and all K. pneumoniae strains were ST378. Whole genome analysis of the plasmid showed that blaNDM-5 is carried on a IncX3 plasmid, showing a high concordance rate with plasmids detected worldwide in human and animal isolates. The blaNDM gene was associated with the bleMBL gene and the ISAba125 element, truncated with the IS5 element. The results of this study show that CPE has already become as a threat to both animals and humans in our society, posing the necessity to solve it in terms of "One Health". Therefore, preventive strategies should be developed to prevent the spread of CPE in animal and human societies.
Highlights
Carbapenems are broad-spectrum antibiotics widely used for the treatment of human infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria
Two plasmids from K. pneumoniae strains, pKP1-NDM5 and pKP4-NDM5, showed 100% identity to each other. This investigation identified Enterobacterales bearing New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-5-producing IncX3 from companion animals. This was the first report in our country of K. pneumoniae as a carbapenemase producer from companion animals, whereas the presence of carbapenemase-producing E. coli was reported previously in our country[21]
Two different isolates, one E. coli (DMCPEC2) and one K. pneumoniae (DMCPKP4) came from different urine samples collected from a single dog at different times
Summary
Carbapenems are broad-spectrum antibiotics widely used for the treatment of human infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria. K. pneumoniae resides in the environment and on medical devices such as urinary catheters and endotracheal tubes and is frequently disseminated between health care workers and patients in hospitals[7] Both E. coli and K. pneumoniae live alongside humans and animals and are emerging as threats as they gain resistance against antimicrobial agents, including resistance against carbapenems. Since the first report of the isolation of a K. pneumoniae NDM-bearing strain from a patient in Sweden in 2009, NDM has spread worldwide due to its location on mobile genetic elements such as plasmids, transposons and integrons[8] Conjugative plasmids such as Incompatibility group (Inc) F, A/C, L/M, N and X are associated with dissemination of blaNDM via horizontal gene transfer (HGT)[2]. Regarding the increasing threat of CPE, continuous surveillance and genetic characterization of CPE isolates have been required to develop the control measures against their spread in human and animal society
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