The Characteristics of Multilocus Sequence Typing, Virulence Genes and Drug Resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolated from Cattle in Northern Jiangsu, China

Abstract

Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) induced bovine mastitis has been becoming one of the dominantly pathogenic bacteria in cases of bovine mastitis, and is threatening public health through dairy products. In order to explore the characteristics of multilocus sequence typing (MLST), virulence gene carrying, and the relationship between virulence genes and the antibiotic resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae from dairy cattle in northern Jiangsu, 208 dairy milk samples were collected from four dairy farms in northern Jiangsu. A total of 68 isolates were obtained through bacterial isolation, purification, and 16S rDNA identification. Eleven virulence genes were detected by specific PCR. The susceptibility of the isolates to antimicrobials was analyzed using the Kirby–Bauer method. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between the presence of virulence genes and the phenotype of drug resistance. ST 2661 was the most prevalent type of K. pneumoniae (13/68, 19.1%) among the 23 ST types identified from the 68 isolates. The virulence gene allS was not detected, but the positive detection rates of the virulence genes fimH, ureA, uge and wabG were 100.0%. Notably, the detection rates of genes rmpA and wcaG, related to the capsular polysaccharide, were 4.4% and 11.8%, respectively, which were lower than those of genes related to siderophores (kfuBC, ybtA and iucB at 50.0%, 23.5%, and 52.9%, respectively). The K. pneumoniae isolates were sensitive to ciprofloxacin, nitrofurantoin, and meropenem. However, the resistance rate to penicillin was the highest (58/68, 85.3%), along with resistance to amoxicillin (16/68, 23.5%). The results revealed the distribution of 23 ST types of K. pneumoniae from the milk from bovine-mastitis-infected dairy cows in northern Jiangsu, and the expression or absence of the virulence gene kfuBC was related to the sensitivity to antibiotics. The current study provides important information relating to the distribution and characteristics of K. pneumoniae isolated from dairy cows with clinical bovine mastitis, and is indicative of strategies for improving the treatment of K. pneumoniae-induced bovine mastitis.

Antimicrobial resistance and molecular characterization of Klebsiella species causing bovine mastitis in Nghe An province, Vietnam

“…COL is a last resort antibiotic to treat infections caused by K. pneumoniae , and the resistance rate to this antibiotic has increased in recent years from 4.8% in 2013–2018 to 8.2% in 2019–2021 [ 35 ]; our resistance rate still higher, when compared to this finding and might come from the transmission between strains as this antimicrobial, was used for treatment calves with diarrhea. CIP, ENR, PIP, IMI, and STX were highly sensitive in our study, which could be a good choice for mastitis treatment, especially CIP, PIP, and IMI, as these drugs had never been used before at studied farms; this finding was supported by other studies in Brazil [ 6 ], in China [ 31 ]. We found that all isolates were sensitive to GEN and EFT; these drugs also be a good option for veterinarians to deal with mastitis cows.…”

“…Resistance to AMP was supported by similar studies in China [ 28 ] with 100% resistance, in Pakistan with 98% resistance to LIN, 86% AMP, and 99% SUX to mastitis pathogens [ 29 ]. Resistance toward AMP was used to predict the resistance to AMO [ 30 ]; thus, our AMO resistance was found to be high (56%) together with AMP, especially when compared with similar findings in China with 23.5% [ 31 ]. These drugs have been widely used in farms for a long time to deal with clinical mastitis, which may be why resistance to these antimicrobials is high.…”

Molecular Studies on Some Virulent and Multi-Drug Resistant Cattle Klebsiella Strains and their Heamatobiochemical Impacts

“…Furthermore, our data indicated that major virulence traits of the recovered Klebsiella spp were fimA (90%), aerobactin (85%), rmpA (90%) and magA (80%) (Figure 1). Similar findings of fimA, rmpA, and aerobactin genes were also detected in previous studies (Xu et al, 2022). It is documented that the most common virulence factors of Klebsiella spp.…”

“…K lebsiella organisms are opportunistic nosocomial pathogens primarily associated with variety of infectious diseases including upper respiratory tract infections especially pneumonia, also, mastitis, blood stream infections and pyogenic liver abscesses in animals and mammals (Butaye et al, 2021;Xu et al, 2022).…”

“…A proficient pathogen is virulent, resistant to antibiotics, and epidemic. The interplay between resistance and virulence is poorly understood, and is receiving great (Xu et al, 2022). Furthermore, bovine respiratory diseases (BRD) had been considered as one of the major serious health problems that commonly occurred in cattle farms around the world (Fararh et al, 2017).…”