mcr-1 colistin resistance gene sharing between Escherichia coli from cohabiting dogs and humans, Lisbon, Portugal, 2018 to 2020

Abstract

Background The emergence of colistin resistance is a One Health antimicrobial resistance challenge worldwide. The close contact between companion animals and humans creates opportunities for transmission and dissemination of colistin-resistant bacteria. Aim To detect potential animal reservoirs of colistin-resistant Escherichia coli and investigate the possible sharing of these bacteria between dogs, cats and their cohabiting humans in the community in Lisbon, Portugal. Methods A prospective longitudinal study was performed from 2018 to 2020. Faecal samples from dogs and cats either healthy or diagnosed with a skin and soft tissue or urinary tract infection, and their cohabiting humans were screened for the presence of colistin-resistant E. coli. All isolates were tested by broth microdilution against colistin and 12 other antimicrobials. Colistin-resistant isolates were screened for 30 resistance genes, including plasmid-mediated colistin resistance genes (mcr-1 to mcr-9), and typed by multilocus sequence typing. Genetic relatedness between animal and human isolates was analysed by whole genome sequencing. Results Colistin-resistant E. coli strains harbouring the mcr-1 gene were recovered from faecal samples of companion animals (8/102; 7.8%) and humans (4/125; 3.2%). No difference between control and infection group was detected. Indistinguishable multidrug-resistant E. coli ST744 strains harbouring the mcr-1 gene were found in humans and their dogs in two households. Conclusions The identification of identical E. coli strains containing the plasmid-mediated mcr-1 gene in companion animals and humans in daily close contact is of concern. These results demonstrate the importance of the animal–human unit as possible disseminators of clinically important resistance genes in the community setting.

Microbiome Interconnectedness throughout Environments with Major Consequences for Healthy People and a Healthy Planet

“…The intimate relationship between pets and owners potentially represents a public health concern in terms of AMR gene development and transmission (190). Indicative evidence has been provided in several studies where AMR genes present in fecal samples of humans and their companion animals were characterized (191)(192)(193). In a more comprehensive metagenomic study, Zhao et al (194) compared the gut AMR genes, the MGEs and the microbiota among dogs and their owners as well as kennel dogs.…”

Antimicrobial consumption and resistance in bacteria from humans and food‐producing animals

“…However, there are also complicating factors in some countries. For example, a certain amount of third-and fourth-generation cephalosporins may also be used in the treatment of companion animals, (Hur et al, 2020;Méndez & Moreno, 2020) especially cats (Mateus et al, 2011), i.e. animals that are not producing food and not included in the resistance monitoring.…”

“…Mcr genes have been found in similar plasmids in the same bacterial species isolated from food‐producing animals, food, humans and the environment, indicating the possibility for transmission between the compartments (Lima et al., 2019; Skov & Monnet, 2016). A recent study identified indistinguishable MDR E. coli ST744 harbouring mcr ‐ 1 from humans and dogs in the same household; however, studies in Germany in turkeys, pigs and farm personnel did not identify clonality between the human and animal mcr‐1 ‐positive E. coli isolates from the same farms (Effelsberg et al., 2021; Menezes et al., 2022; Nordhoff et al., 2023). Due to lack of data on the human side the potential association of resistance in isolates from food‐producing animals and isolates from humans cannot yet be estimated in this JIACRA report.…”

Raw meat-based diet for pets: a neglected source of human exposure to Salmonella and pathogenic Escherichia coli clones carrying mcr, Portugal, September 2019 to January 2020

“…Nevertheless, since 2020, there have been more than 20 notifications or recalls of pet food and RMBD in the EU due to the detection of zoonotic pathogens, particularly Salmonella and pathogenic Escherichia coli [8], and also cases of human infections with Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) linked to exposure to RMBDs [9][10][11]. Several studies have also established a correlation between the microbiota of pets and their owners, including the presence of antibiotic-resistant strains, with pet food as a potential source [12,13]. However, certain antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes of public health concern, such as the mcr gene conferring resistance to the last-line antibiotic colistin, have not been extensively studied in pet food and RMBDs [1,[14][15][16].…”