Prevalence and characterization of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from raw vegetables retailed in Southern Thailand

Abstract

Background The increasing prevalence of broad-spectrum ampicillin-resistant and third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, particularly Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, has become a global concern, with its clinical impacts on both human and veterinary medicine. This study examined the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and molecular genetic features of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates from 10 types of raw vegetables. Methods In total, 305 samples were collected from 9 markets in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, in 2020. Results ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates were found in 14 of the 305 samples obtained from 7 out of 10 types of vegetables (4.6% of the total). Further, 14 ESBL-producing E. coli (n = 5/14) and K. pneumoniae isolates (n = 9/14) (1.6% and 3.0%, respectively) were highly sensitive to β-lactam/carbapenem antibiotics (imipenem, 100%). ESBL-producing E. coli (n = 4) and K. pneumoniae isolates (n = 8) were also sensitive to non-β-lactam aminoglycosides (amikacin, 80.00% and 88.89%, respectively). ESBL producers were most resistant to β-lactam antibiotics, including ampicillin (85.71%) and the cephalosporins cefotaxime and ceftazidime (64.29%). The most frequently detected gene in ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae was blaSHV. However, two ESBL-producing E. coli isolates also carried three other ESBL-encoding variants, blaTEM, blaCTX-M1, blaGES and blaTEM, blaSHV, blaCTX-M9, which may be due to their association with food chains and humans. Discussion Indeed, our results suggest that raw vegetables are an important source of ESBL-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae, which are potentially transmittable to humans via raw vegetable intake.

Multidrug-resistant extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli from farm produce and agricultural environments in Edo State, Nigeria

“…bla TEM-1 and bla TEM-15 have also been reported from vegetables in Finland [44]. Similar β-lactamase genes to those from our study have been reported in Southern Thailand [45]. ESBL groups identified from our research (CTX-M-15 and CTX-M-1) also correspond to ESBL groups previously reported in Tunisia [27] from vegetables, irrigation water and soil; and in E. coli from healthy humans, food-producing animals, and food [74,78].…”

“…However, this was different from a survey by Sore ´et al [48], where relatively less (93.23%) of the isolates showed MDR (94.40% in wastewater and 91.66% in salads). Co-expression of βlactamase genes may result in stronger ESBL production and increased antibiotic resistance or MDR [45]. Antibiotic resistance genes encoding 12 major classes of antibiotics, including βlactam antibiotics, aminoglycoside, macrolide, fluoroquinolone, and others, were found in vegetable samples from the USA, which were similar to the genes detected from samples from our study [46].…”

“…Southern Thailand, and the United States [31,[42][43][44][45][46]. A higher prevalence of 62.11% (59/95) has been reported in Malaysia [41].…”

Comparative meta-analysis of antimicrobial resistance from different food sources along with one health approach in Italy and Thailand

“…Out of 112 research papers related to foodborne pathogens in Thailand from 2012 to 2021, 33 were considered for meta-analysis [ 4 , 31 , 34 , 35 , [69] , [70] , [71] , [72] , [73] , [74] , [75] , [76] , [77] , [78] , [79] , [80] , [81] , [82] , [83] , [84] , [85] , [86] , [87] , [88] , [89] , [90] , [91] , [92] , [93] , [94] , [95] , [96] , [97] ]. Among 11,753 AMR isolates 3526 (30%) were represented by E. coli 1744 (14.84%), Salmonella spp.…”

Carbapenemase Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC): What Is the Best MALDI-TOF MS Detection Method

“…Klebsiella pneumoniae is a species of Gram-negative bacteria that belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family [ 1 ]. It contaminates different types of food products, including plant raw materials such as sprouts and salads [ 2 ], raw vegetables [ 3 ], or fresh fruits [ 4 ]. It is an important opportunistic pathogen causing frequent nosocomial infections [ 5 ], mainly infections of the urinary and respiratory tract [ 6 ].…”