Predominance of bla CTX-M-65 and bla CTX-M-55 in extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli from raw retail chicken in South Korea

• Published in: Journal of global antimicrobial resistance. Vol. 17; p. 216
• Main Authors: Park, Hyeeun, Kim, Jinshil, Ryu, Sangryeol, Jeon, Byeonghwa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands 01.06.2019
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; beta-Lactamases - classification; beta-Lactamases - genetics; Chickens - microbiology; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial - genetics; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli - isolation & purification; Escherichia coli Infections - epidemiology; Escherichia coli Proteins - genetics; Genes, Bacterial - genetics; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Phylogeny; Prevalence; Republic of Korea; Virulence - genetics; Republic of Korea; CTX-M; ESBL; Chicken; Antimicrobial resistance; Escherichia coli; Extended-spectrum β-lactamase
• ISSN: 2213-7173
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2019.01.005

Extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC) are a serious public health concern worldwide. The aim of this study was to characterise ESBL-EC isolated from raw retail chicken in South Korea. The antimicrobial resistance, phylogenetic group and virulence gene prevalence of 67 ESBL-EC isolated from retail chicken in South Korea were investigated. All of the isolates possessed bla genes, predominantly bla (52.2%) and bla (25.4%), and three isolates harboured both bla and bla . More than one-half of the ESBL-EC strains also carried bla . Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that 98.5% of the strains were multidrug-resistant (MDR). Phylogenetic analysis showed that group A was predominant (56.7%), followed by B1 (19.4%), E (8.9%), B2 (6.0%) and D (6.0%). Virulence genes associated with extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) were frequently detected in isolates of phylogenetic groups B1, B2, D and E. The results in this study demonstrate that retail chicken in South Korea is highly contaminated with MDR ESBL-EC and may serve as a reservoir for transmitting ExPEC to humans.