(1) Background: As β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales are no longer exclusively associated with the health care system, investigating the potential risk they pose to the integrity of the environment and food safety has become of utmost importance. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL), AmpC, and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales isolates from retailed raw vegetables and to determine if household washing is an effective method of lowering bacterial load; (2) Methods: Seasonal vegetables (n = 165) were acquired from supermarkets (n = 2) and farmer markets (n = 2) in Romania. Following sample processing and isolation, identification of Enterobacterales was performed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) multiplex was used to ascertain the presence of the main ESBL, AmpC, and Carbapenemase genes. Phenotypic antibiotic resistance profiles of isolates were determined by extended antibiograms. Enterobacteriaceae colony-forming units (CFU) counts were compared between vegetable types; (3) Results: Beta-lactamase producing bacteria were observed on 7.9% of vegetables, with 5.5% displaying ESBL/AmpC phenotype and 2.4% identified as Carbapenemase producers. The most frequently detected β-lactamase genes were blaSHV (n = 4), followed by blaCTX-M and blaTEM (each with n = 3). Phenotypic antibiotic resistance analysis showed that 46% of isolates were multiple drug resistant, with aminoglycosides (38.5%) the most prevalent non-β-lactam resistance, followed by first-generation quinolones (38.5%). (4) Conclusions: The present study has described for the first time the presence of β-lactamase producing Enterobacterales in fresh produce retailed in Romania.
Commensal/ooportunistic bacteria pathogens have been implicated severally in bacteremia and knee-joint infection.Methods & Materials: Fresh samples of feces (n = 65) were obtained from a group of invading cattle egrets (≈ 1000) on trees in Vom, Nigeria. These egrets were not deterred by efforts at tree-trimming. Samples were enriched in tryptone-soy broth and plated on MacConkey agar using standard procedures. All positive cultures were sub-cultured on cefixime-rhamnose-sorbitol Mac-Conkey agar (selective medium) and antibiogram was carried out using diffusion disc with 7 different antibiotics.Results: E. coli (n = 58) and Micrococcus spp. (n = 13) were isolated from the faecal material following enrichment. The pooled E. coli colonies were sensitive to Ciprofloxacin (+++), Chloramphenicol (+++), Streptomycin (+), Clindamycin (+) and Tetracycline (+) but was resistant to Vancomycin VA (30) and Vancomycin VA (5).The Micrococcus spp was sensitive to Ciprofloxacin (+++), Vancomycin VA (30) (++) and Vancomycin VA (5) (+) but resistant to Streptomycin, Clindamycin, Tetracycline and Chloramphenicol.Conclusion: Food animal production processes in Africa is particularly opened to abuse of antibiotics with stockmen often treating their cattle without recourse to veterinarians. Since the ecology of cattle egrets and trans-humance cattle are similar with shared environment, food sources, watering points and movement patterns, it is highly likely that drugs and medicaments are also shared by these species inadvertently. While this work has shown evidence of resistant organisms in fecal materials in cattle egret, more studies will become necessary to identify the potential epidemiologic role these species pose in spreading resistant organisms to poultry and other livestock.
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