Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in Raw Milk from Egyptian Dairy Farm Animals with Subclinical Mastitis

Abstract

Global concern surrounds Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii), a dangerous pathogen. The fact that this bacterium can develop resistance to carbapenems used in clinical practice is one of the biggest worries associated with it. Furthermore, it has a strong propensity to rapidly disseminate this resistance, affecting healthcare settings across national borders and socioeconomic levels. Based on our research, out of 70 bovine milk samples were positive for Acinetobacter spp with an incidence (17.14%). Phenotypically, all Acinetobacter spp were confirmed as A. baumannii. Thus, the frequency of A. baumannii in milk samples was 17.14% (12/70). The isolates of A. baumannii exhibited the highest frequency of resistance to imipenem (10g), gentamicin (10g), and ceftazidime (30g), with an incidence of 100%. The PCR results showed that all A. baumannii strains (100%) carried the blaOXA-51, blaOXA-23, blaOXA-24 and blaOXA-58 genes. These results raised the possibility that raw milk consumption could expose humans to a zoonotic risk of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB).