Prevalence and molecular characterization of mcr-1-positive foodborne ST34-Salmonella isolates in China

One Health at Risk: Plasmid-Mediated Spread of mcr-1 Across Clinical, Agricultural, and Environmental Ecosystems

The global dissemination of plasmid-mediated mcr genes, which confer resistance to the last-resort antibiotic colistin, represents a critical public health challenge driven by the interplay of clinical, agricultural, and environmental factors. This review examines the genetic and ecological dynamics of mcr-bearing plasmids, focusing on their role in disseminating colistin resistance across diverse bacterial hosts and ecosystems. Key plasmid families demonstrate distinct evolutionary strategies, including IncI2, IncHI2, and IncX4. IncI2 plasmids favor stability in livestock and clinical settings. IncHI2 plasmids, on the other hand, leverage transposons to co-select for multidrug resistance, while IncX4 plasmids achieve global dissemination through streamlined, conjugation-efficient architectures. The pervasive spread of mcr genes is exacerbated by their integration into chromosomes via mobile genetic elements and co-selection with resistance to other antibiotic classes, amplifying multidrug-resistant phenotypes. Environmental reservoirs, food chains, and anthropogenic practices further facilitate cross-niche transmission, underscoring the interconnectedness of resistance under the One Health framework. Addressing this crisis requires coordinated strategies, including reducing colistin misuse in agriculture, enhancing surveillance of high-risk plasmid types, and fostering international collaboration to preserve antimicrobial efficacy and mitigate the threat of untreatable infections.

Antimicrobial peptides: from discovery to developmental applications

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a significant crisis in global health. Due to their advantageous properties, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have garnered considerable attention as a potential alternative therapy to address the AMR crisis. These peptides might disrupt cell membranes or cell walls to exhibit antimicrobial activity, or modulate the immune response to promote recovery from diseases. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the research of AMPs, alongside the emergence of new challenges. This review first systematically summarizes and critically discusses recent advancements in understanding the characteristics and current landscapes of AMPs, as well as their regulatory mechanisms of action and practical applications, particularly those reported or approved within the last 5 years. Additionally, the principles, paths for their identification, and future research trends in AMPs are also analyzed following a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of AMPs in comparison to conventional antibiotics. Unlike significant prior literature in this field, this report has summarized the latest major discovery methods for AMPs and, more importantly, emphasized their practical applications by supporting various viewpoints using selected examples of AMPs' applications in real-life scenarios. Besides, some emerging hot topics of AMPs, including those derived from gut microbiota and their potential synergistic effects in combating AMR, were profiled. All of these indicate the originality of the report and provide valuable references for future AMP discoveries and applications.

Distribution of disinfectant resistant genes in mcr-1-carrying Escherichia coli isolated from children in southern China

BACKGROUND

Colistin, a polymyxin antibiotic, serves as a crucial defense against multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria, despite its nephrotoxicity. However, the plasmid-mediated mobilization of the polymyxin resistance gene, mcr-1, presents a significant public health threat. The widespread use of disinfectants has resulted in Escherichia coli (E. coli) carrying mcr-1 also showing disinfectant resistance. The aim of this study is to investigate the distribution of disinfectant genes and resistance to disinfectants in mcr-1-carring E coli from children in the South China.

METHODS

We evaluated the distribution of twelve disinfectant-resistance genes by PCR. Evaluated the correlation between disinfectant-resistance genes and resistance to disinfectants and antibiotics. We also examined the correlation between the strains' biofilm formation and the presence of disinfectant-resistance genes. Bioinformatic tools were employed to analyze resistance genes, virulence genes, and insertion sequences. Five strains were randomly selected to examine the effects of sub-inhibitory concentration (sub-MIC) of 8 disinfectants on the expression of the mcr-1 gene by qRT-PCR.

RESULTS

The most prevalent of the nine biocide resistance genes were mdfA, sugE(c), ydgE, and ydgF (n = 21; all 100 %). The qacG, qacF, sugE(p) and tehA gene was not detected. Furthermore, benzalkonium chloride (BC) and potassium hydrogen persulfate (PMPS)-based disinfectants were effective against all mcr-1-carrying E. coli strains. The majority of mcr-1 were distributed among the InHI2 plasmid types, although three strains lacked mcr-1 on their plasmids. Biofilm formation was observed in 48 % of the strains. emrD and sitABCD showed significant associations with the susceptibility of the strains to 84 disinfectants (P of 0.0351 and 0.0300). In addition, sitABCD was significantly associated with susceptibility to povidone-iodine (PVP-I) (P value of 0.0062). Compared to the untreated group, stimulation with sub-MIC of peracetic acid (PAA) and PVP-I resulted in decreased or increased mcr-1 expression in five E. coli strains, respectively (P of 0.0011 for PAA and P of 0.0476 for PVP-I).

CONCLUSION

BC and PMPS based disinfectants were effective against all mcr-1 carrying E. coli strains. Most of the mcr-1 genes were distributed among the InHI2 plasmid types. The emrD and sitABCD genes are highly associated with resistance to 84 disinfectants, and the sitABCD gene was highly associated with resistance to PVP-I. PVP-I selective pressure may encourage the maintenance of mcr-1 gene in E. coli.

Epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella serovars Typhimurium and 4,[5],12:i- recovered from hospitalized patients in China

Global emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is a continuing challenge for modern healthcare. However, the knowledge, regarding the epidemiology of salmonellosis caused by the monophasic variant S. 4,[5],12:i:- in hospitalized patients, is limited in China. To bridge this gap, we carried out a retrospective study to determine the antimicrobial resistance, trends, and risk factors of S. Typhimurium and S. 4,[5],12:i:- (n = 329) recovered from patients in Zhejiang province between 2011 and 2019. The results showed that 90.57% (298/329) of the isolates were MDR; among them, 48.94% (161/329) and 12.46% (41/329) were phenotypically resistant to cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones, respectively, which are the drugs of choice used to treat salmonellosis in clinics. Additionally, we observed a higher incidence of infections among the young population (<5 years old). Notably, the higher prevalence of ST34 (sequence type 34) isolates, especially after 2014, with MDR (57.05%, 170/298) phenotype, and incidence of ST34 isolates co-harbouring mcr-1 (mobile colistin resistance gene) and blaCTX-M-14 (β-lactamase gene) suggest an association between STs and drug resistance. Together, the increasing prevalence of MDR ST34 calls for enhanced monitoring strategies to mitigate the spread and dissemination of MDR clones of S. Typhimurium and S. 4,[5],12:i-. Our study provides improved knowledge about non-typhoid Salmonella (NTS) infections, which could help in the effective recommendation of antimicrobials in hospitalized patients.

Genomic analysis of almost 8,000 Salmonella genomes reveals drivers and landscape of antimicrobial resistance in China

IMPORTANCE

We established the largest Salmonella genome database from China and presented the landscape and spatiotemporal dynamics of antimicrobial resistance genes. We also found that economic, climatic, and social factors can drive the rise of antimicrobial resistance. The Chinese local Salmonella genome database version 2 was released as an open-access database (https://nmdc.cn/clsgdbv2) and thus can assist surveillance studies across the globe. This database will help inform interventions for AMR, food safety, and public health.