Dissemination of CTX-M-Producing Escherichia coli in Freshwater Fishes From a French Watershed (Burgundy)

Abstract

The burden of extended-spectrum β-lactamases producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-Ec), has increased over several decades. Freshwater ecosystems are suspected to play an important ecological and evolutionary role in driving the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. The aim of our study was to decipher the occurrence of ESBL-Ec in a small watershed (Ouche river, Burgundy, France), targeting environmental matrices and fishes. Among cefotaxime resistant E. coli (ctxR Ec) isolates, we detected and characterized 36 ESBL-Ec from water, biofilm and fish guts. ctxR Ec and ESBL-Ec were found in samples from sites near the first small town, located downstream from the watershed which was studied. Treatment of urban wastewater by waste water treatment plants (WWTP), might therefore be a major potential source of ctxR Ec and thus of ESBL-Ec. Prevalence of total E. coli and ctxR Ec in fish guts ranged between 0 to 92% and 0 to 85%; respectively, depending on the sampling site and the fish species. The diet of fish (predator or omnivore) seems to strongly influence the prevalence of total E. coli and ESBL-Ec. Extended spectrum beta-lactamases produced by the isolates from this study belonged to the CTX-M family (CTX-M group 1 and 9). Moreover, some environmental ESBL-Ec proved to share genotypic features (MLST types) with isolates which originated from 8 WWTP effluents discharged in the Ouche river and with the sequence type ST131, which is widely described in clinical isolates. Ninety-seven % (97%) of ESBL-Ec from the study harbored additional antibiotic resistances and can thus be considered as multi drug resistant (MDR) bacteria. Finally, 53% of the ESBL-Ec strains harbored class 1 integron-integrase (intl1). These results are discussed with the perspective of defining indicators of antibiotic resistance contamination in freshwater ecosystems.

Genomic Epidemiology of Major Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli Lineages Causing Urinary Tract Infections in Young Women Across Canada

“…ST131 UTI is associated with self-reported consumption of shrimp and contact with fish. A recent study isolated several clinically relevant ExPEC STs from fish, including ST10, ST38, and ST131, which suggests that an aquatic reservoir may exist for ExPEC STs [36]. Women with ST131 or ST69 UTI reported less frequent consumption of antibiotic-free meats.…”

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“…Eleven (11) strains of E. coli belonging to the pathovars Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC=4), Shiga toxinogenic E coli (STEC=5), Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC=2) from our previous work on gills (7) and viscera (4) of fish Oreochromis niloticus, was tested by Müller-Hinton agar diffusion method according to Antibiogram Committee of French Society of Microbiology [16]. According to EUCAST-CASFM recommendations on antibiotics used in case of infection with enterobacteria and in view of the multi-drug resistance observed in recent years, 19 antibiotics divided into 9 differents families (Penicillins, Cephalosporins, Monobactam, Carbapenems, Quinolone, Aminoside, Cyclin, Phenicol, Phosphonique Acid) were tested.…”

“…Antibacterial resistance is a real public health problem. They are found in humans [9]; animals [10,11]; and also in the environment [12]. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria of animal origin can be transmitted to humans through the ingestion of contaminated food, direct contact with animals or their environment [13].…”

Cultivable autochthonous bacteria of the intestinal mucosa of Arapaima gigas (Pisces: Arapaimidae) with probiotic potential

“…Bollache et al. (2018) reported that E. coli are producers of broad‐spectrum beta‐lactamases in several fish species. Therefore, E. coli isolates were excluded as a probiotic potential for A. gigas , although this species of Gammaproteobacteria has been used as a probiotic for other animal species by one century (Wassenaar, 2016).…”