Extended-Spectrum-Beta-Lactamases, AmpC Beta-Lactamases and Plasmid Mediated Quinolone Resistance in Klebsiella spp. from Companion Animals in Italy

Abstract

We report the genetic characterization of 15 Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) and 4 isolates of K. oxytoca (KO) from clinical cases in dogs and cats and showing extended-spectrum cephalosporin (ESC) resistance. Extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and AmpC genes, plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) and co-resistances were investigated. Among KP isolates, ST101 clone was predominant (8/15, 53%), followed by ST15 (4/15, 27%). ST11 and ST340, belonging to Clonal Complex (CC)11, were detected in 2012 (3/15, 20%). MLST on KP isolates corresponded well with PFGE results, with 11 different PFGE patterns observed, including two clusters of two (ST340) and four (ST101) indistinguishable isolates, respectively. All isolates harbored at least one ESBL or AmpC gene, all carried on transferable plasmids (IncR, IncFII, IncI1, IncN), and 16/19 were positive for PMQR genes (qnr family or aac(6′)-Ib-cr). The most frequent ESBL was CTX-M-15 (11/19, 58%), detected in all KP ST101, in one KP ST15 and in both KP ST340. bla CTX-M-15 was carried on IncR plasmids in all but one KP isolate. All KP ST15 isolates harbored different ESC resistance genes and different plasmids, and presented the non-transferable bla SHV-28 gene, in association with bla CTX-M-15, bla CTX-M-1 (on IncR, or on IncN), bla SHV-2a (on IncR) or bla CMY-2 genes (on IncI1). KO isolates were positive for bla CTX-M-9 gene (on IncHI2), or for the bla SHV-12 and bla DHA-1 genes (on IncL/M). They were all positive for qnr genes, and one also for the aac(6′)-Ib-cr gene. All Klebsiella isolates showed multiresistance towards aminoglycosides, sulfonamides, tetracyclines, trimethoprim and amphenicols, mediated by strA/B, aadA2, aadB, ant (2")-Ia, aac(6′)-Ib, sul, tet, dfr and cat genes in various combinations. The emergence in pets of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella with ESBL, AmpC and PMQR determinants, poses further and serious challenges in companion animal therapy and raise concerns for possible bi-directional transmission between pets and humans, especially at household level.

Identification and characterization of CTX-M-15 producing Klebsiella pneumoniae clone ST101 in a Hungarian university teaching hospital

“…This sequence type was associated with various β-lactam resistance mechanisms in different parts of the world: CTX-M-15 production in France, Greece and Italy; SHV-12 production in the Czech Republic; OXA-48 production in Spain, Libya, France, Tunisia, Morocco, Switzerland and South Africa; KPC-2 production in Italy and Spain [32,[35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42]. In our institution the presence of CTX-M-15 producing ST101 seemed to be restricted both timely and spatially, as the majority of the isolates originated from a single department with a decreasing incidence ( Tables II and III).…”

“…Beside several minor clones, three internationally disseminated CTX-M-15 producing K. pneumoniae clones, namely ST15, ST101 and ST147 were present in the Clinical Centre University of Pécs, of which ST15 and ST147 are considered to be epidemic clones in Hungary [6,[32][33][34][35][36].…”

Characteristics of ciprofloxacin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates recovered from wastewater of an Algerian hospital

“…blaCTX-M-15 was found in two E. coli isolates and in K. pneumoniae and K. oxytoca isolates harboring aac(6')-Ib-cr and aac(6')-Ib-cr + qnrB1, respectively; it is the most widespread ESBL gene in the world [34]. The association of CTX-M-15 with ciprofloxacin resistance is commonly reported in human, animal, and aquatic environmental isolates [23,35,36] by its location on the plasmids carrying PMQR genes, particularly aac(6')-Ib-cr, or chromosomal integration which might facilitate co-selection processes [23,34,35].…”

Highly Tigecycline-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Sequence Type 11 (ST11) and ST147 Isolates from Companion Animals

“…ST11 is considered an important hyperepidemic nosocomial human clone distributed worldwide and associated with the dissemination of ESBLs, aminoglycoside resistance-mediated 16S rRNA methylase genes, and carbapenemases (11,13,26). Moreover, ST11 is emerging in animals; since its first detection in dogs (11), it was identified in other companion animals (27,28) and recently in wild animals (29,30). In contrast, ST147 is a newer and emerging human-related sequence type associated with multidrug and even extensively drug-resistant human isolates, but it had not been found in animals (26,31,32).…”