Clonal relationship between human and avian ciprofloxacin-resistant Escherichia coli isolates in North-Eastern Algeria

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to determine rates, patterns, and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, and to assess connections between chicken commensal, human commensal, and pathogenic ciprofloxacin-resistant Escherichia coli isolates. All E. coli isolates collected from chickens, their farmers, and patients in the Constantine region (North-east Algeria) were analyzed for bla and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) gene contents, phylogroups, Rep-PCR profiles, and multilocus sequence types. A high prevalence of resistance to fluoroquinolones (51.4 % to ciprofloxacin) was recorded in avian isolates. Of these, 22.2 % carried the aac(6')-Ib-cr gene, whereas lower resistance levels to these antibiotics were recorded in chicken farmers' isolates. None of the commensal isolates harbored the qnr, qepA, or oqxAB genes. One human pathogenic isolate was ertapenem-resistant and harbored the bla OXA-48 gene, 84 showed an extended-spectrum β-lactamase phenotype, with bla CTX-M-15 gene prevalent in 87.2 % of them. Seventy isolates were resistant to fluoroquinolones, with aac(6')-Ib-cr present in 72.8 %, qnrB in 5.7 %, and qnrS in 10 %. Three Rep-PCR profiles were common to chicken commensal and human pathogenic isolates (phylogroups D and B1; ST21, ST48, and ST471 respectively); one was found in both chicken and chicken-farmer commensal strains (D; ST108), while another profile was identified in a chicken-farmer commensal strain and a human pathogenic one (B1; ST19). These findings suggest clonal and epidemiologic links between chicken and human ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli isolates and the important role that poultry may play in the epidemiology of human E. coli infections in the Constantine region.

Characteristics of Quinolone Resistance in Escherichia coli Isolates from Humans, Animals, and the Environment in the Czech Republic

“…Based on our results, one ST48 E. coli producing CTX-M-15 from wastewater, one ST617 strain with CTX-M-15 from wound swab and one ST43 E. coli with production of CTX-M-1 beta-lactamase from chicken were identified. In contrast to other studies (Huijbers et al, 2014; Agabou et al, 2016), no epidemiological link between human and animal isolates of this clonal group was observed in our study.…”

“…Several authors suggested potential transmission of E. coli clones from animals to humans (Platell et al, 2011; Agabou et al, 2016; Nüesch-Inderbinen and Stephan, 2016) and the role of contaminated food in the local spread of resistant E. coli strains (Vincent et al, 2010). In a study from Platell et al (2011), a high level of relatedness of E. coli ST131 strains from companion animals and humans was observed.…”

“…In a study from Platell et al (2011), a high level of relatedness of E. coli ST131 strains from companion animals and humans was observed. Moreover, Agabou et al (2016) demonstrated a clonal relationship between human and chicken ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli isolates in North-Eastern Algeria. In contrast to these studies, we did not find any correlation between samples of human, animal, or environmental origin.…”

“…Resistance to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin was reported as high or extremely high in isolates from broilers in European countries (ECDC, EFSA, and EMA, 2015). E. coli isolates resistant to fluoroquinolones has been described in food-producing and companion animals (Platell et al, 2011; Gosling et al, 2012; Literak et al, 2013; Agabou et al, 2016) as well as in wild animals and the environment (Jiménez Gómez et al, 2004; Colomer-Lluch et al, 2013). …”

Characterization of Diarrheagenic Escherichia Coli Serotypes Isolated from Poultry and Humans

“…A much higher frequency (73.0 %) of isolation of E. coli was detected in 30 healthy animal farm workers elsewhere [26]. Several studies have reported the similarity of isolates of E. coli regarding the genes and antibiotic sensitivity, recovered from poultry and their human contacts [10,12]. Riccobono et al [11] had however suggested that cross-transmission between children and home raised chickens could not represent a major spreading mechanism for resistant E. coli in households of resource-limited settings with high human-animal interaction.…”