Emergence of human pandemic O25:H4-ST131 CTX-M-15 extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli among companion animals

Abstract

Objectives: In view of the intercontinental emergence of Escherichia coli clone O25:H4-ST131 producing CTX-M-15 extended-spectrum b-lactamase (ESBL) in human clinical settings it would be of great interest to explore its existence in animals to unravel a possible reservoir function and the origin and transmission of this group of multiresistant strains.Methods: A total of 177 clinical phenotypically ESBL-producing E. coli isolates, mainly obtained from companion animals with urinary tract infections, wound infections and diarrhoea, were collected in a veterinary diagnostic laboratory covering a European-wide service area. They were screened for molecular subtype O25b and multilocus sequence type 131. O25b-ST131 isolates were subsequently tested for ESBL types, and phenotypic and genotypic resistance determinants. Further characterization of the strains was performed by PFGE and virulence gene typing.Results: Ten (5.6%) of 177 phenotypically ESBL-producing E. coli isolates, nine strains from dogs and one strain from a horse, were allocated to the B2-O25b-ST131 lineage. Nine of these isolates harboured a CTX-M-15-type b-lactamase enzyme while one strain possessed an SHV-12-type ESBL. Macrorestriction analysis revealed a cluster formation of six of the animal CTX-M-15-type ESBL-producing strains from five different European countries together with a human control strain constituting a group of clonally related strains at a similarity value of 87.0%.Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that the group of clonally related human B2-O25:H4-ST131 CTX-M-15-type ESBL-producing E. coli strains is present in companion animals from various European countries. This highlights the possibility of inter-species transmission of these multiresistant strains from human to animal and vice versa.

Commonality among Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Sequence Type ST131 Extraintestinal Escherichia coli Isolates from Humans and Companion Animals in Australia

“…Recently, ST131 has also been isolated from sporadic cases of extraintestinal infection in companion animals (13,22,24,40). This supports previous evidence that extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) from humans and companion animals, particularly strains belonging to group B2, share similar virulence genotypes and phylogenetic origins (25,31).…”

“…coli ST131 isolates from around the world have been reported to closely resemble one another genotypically, suggesting rapid, global dissemination. This has been attributed to multiple factors, including direct human-to-human transmission (12), international travel (37), environmental dissemination (43), fecal carriage in livestock (and spread via raw meats) (46), and carriage by domestic (13,24) or wild (15) animals. Our findings support the concept that companion animals probably participate in the dissemination of ST131 strains of human relevance.…”

Detection of virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes in Escherichia coli isolates from diarrhoiec dogs in Iran

“…E. coli develop resistance following prolonged exposure to antibacterial agents especially in sub-therapeutic doses by acquisition of antibacterial resistance genes from other resident commensal or transient pathogens colonising the individual or the environment. Various antimicrobial resistance determinants including multidrug resistance genes encoding for extended-spectrum β-lactamases have been described in E. coli isolates from companion animals (Bradford 2001, Costa et al 2008, Ewers et al 2010, Shaheen et al 2011, Tajbakhsh et al 2015. Antimicrobial resistance genes spread easily among bacterial organisms by mobile genetic elements like plasmids, and transposons (Salvadoris et al 2003, Randall et al 2004.…”

“…Isolation of diarrhoeagenic antimicrobial-resistant E. coli from dogs with or without diarrhoea and/or their handlers have been reported in countries such as Italy (Carattoli et al 2005), Portugal (Costa et al 2008, Bien et al 2011, Poland (Rzewuska et al 2015), Brazil (de Almeida et al 2012, Paula and Marin 2008, Paula and Marin 2009, Siqueira et al 2009, Puno-Sarmiento et al 2013, the Netherlands (Ewers et al 2010, Ewers et al 2012, Argentina (Bentancor et al 2007), America (Shaheen et al 2011), and Egypt (Ali andMetwaly 2015, Yunis et al 2015). In the available literature, studies on pathogenic E. coli in diarrhoeic and/or healthy dogs in Iran include the reports of Zahrei Salehi et al (2011) and Koochakzadeh et al (2014).…”

Hygienemaßnahmen bei Infektionen oder Besiedlung mit multiresistenten gramnegativen Stäbchen

“…baumannii gehört seit Jahren weltweit zu den 6 häufigsten Erregern der nosokomialen und der beatmungsassoziierten Pneumonie [50] [146][147][148][149][150].…”