Carbapenemase-producing bacteria in food-producing animals, wildlife and environment: A challenge for human health

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is an increasing global health problem and one of the major concerns for economic impacts worldwide. Recently, resistance against carbapenems (doripenem, ertapenem, imipenem, meropenem), which are critically important antimicrobials for human cares, poses a great risk all over the world. Carbapenemases are β-lactamases belonging to different Ambler classes (A, B, D) and encoded by both chromosomal and plasmidic genes. They hydrolyze a broad variety of β-lactams, including carbapenems, cephalosporins, penicillins and aztreonam. Despite several studies in human patients and hospital settings have been performed in European countries, the role of livestock animals, wild animals and the terrestrial and aquatic environment in the maintenance and transmission of carbapenemase- producing bacteria has been poorly investigated. The present review focuses on the carbapenemase-producing bacteria detected in pigs, cattle, poultry, fish, mollusks, wild birds and wild mammals in Europe as well as in non-European countries, investigating the genetic mechanisms for their transmission among food-producing animals and wildlife. To shed light on the important role of the environment in the maintenance and genetic exchange of resistance determinants between environmental and pathogenic bacteria, studies on aquatic sources (rivers, lakes, as well as wastewater treatment plants) are described.

Phylogenetically Diverse Escherichia Coli Strains From Chicken Co-Harbour Multiple Carbapenemase Encoding Genes (blaNDM-blaOXA-blaIMP)

“…Carbapenems are not routinely used in food animal production including poultry farming; however, carbapenem resistance in the E.coli isolates might have coevolved along with resistance to other antibiotics that are commonly used in resistant strains of bacteria may also be disseminated through direct contact, insect vectors, and other animals [8,13,14]. An earlier study by Poirel et al [15] also suggested that co-selection of carbapenemase genes under the selection pressure imposed by the Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 2 November 2020 doi:10.20944/preprints202011.0065.v1…”

“…Characterization of the phylogenetic groups of the E. coli isolates was determined according to the protocols described by Clermont et al [8]. Briefly, a single PCR reaction mixture containing 12. supplied by Integrated DNA Technologies (Singapore).…”

“…Carbapenemshave been reported to show the broadest spectrum of antimicrobial activity in vitro against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including anaerobes[7]. Because of their broad spectrum of actions, potency and effectiveness in treating broad range of infections in human, carbapenems have been recognized as the antibiotics of last resort to treat infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria[8]. Although Carbapenemases have been known to be new and potentially emerging problem in food-producing animals, the prevalence of carbapenem resistance in bacteria from animals have been scarcely reported[9].…”

Molecular Epidemiology of Carbapenemases in Enterobacteriales from Humans, Animals, Food and the Environment

“…Strong evidences exist that the transmission of resistance might have taken place from animals to humans. Although many of these evidences were not direct and were based on the similarities between the carbapenem resistance genes of bacteria isolated from food-producing animals including poultry, pigs, cattle and from humans having close contact with these animals such as farm workers, animal caretakers and their family members [ 128 ]. To support risk assessment for zoonotic CRE, a comprehensive systematic review on CRE that carried bla VIM , bla KPC , bla NDM , blaIMP and bla OXA , from wildlife, food-producing, and companion animals was conducted recently by Köck, el al [ 72 ].…”

“…Another study by Li et al [ 124 ], investigated the prevalence, risk factors, and drivers of CRE transmission between humans and their backyard animals in rural China that provided direct evidence of inter-host transmission of bla NDM producing E. coli between humans and backyard animals. Moreover, the incidence of carbapenem resistant genes in food-producing animals has also been reported from several other countries with chickens and pig being the most investigated species, in which carbapenem resistant genes has been most frequently detected [ 128 ].…”