Detection of NDM-5 and MCR-1 antibiotic resistance encoding genes in Enterobacterales in long-distance migratory bird species Ciconia ciconia, Algeria

The Importance of Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacterales in African Countries: Evolution and Current Burden

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a worldwide healthcare problem. Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) can spread quickly owing to their resistance mechanisms. Although colonized individuals are crucial for MDRO dissemination, colonizing microbes can lead to symptomatic infections in carriers. Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) are among the most important MDROs involved in colonizations and infections with severe outcomes. This review aimed to track down the first reports of CPE in Africa, describe their dissemination throughout African countries and summarize the current status of CRE and CPE data, highlighting current knowledge and limitations of reported data. Two database queries were undertaken using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), employing relevant keywords to identify articles that had as their topics beta-lactamases, carbapenemases and carbapenem resistance pertaining to Africa or African regions and countries. The first information on CPE could be traced back to the mid-2000s, but data for many African countries were established after 2015-2018. Information is presented chronologically for each country. Although no clear conclusions could be drawn for some countries, it was observed that CPE infections and colonizations are present in most African countries and that carbapenem-resistance levels are rising. The most common CPE involved are Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli, and the most prevalent carbapenemases are NDM-type and OXA-48-type enzymes. Prophylactic measures, such as screening, are required to combat this phenomenon.

Do Pharmaceuticals in the Environment Pose a Risk to Wildlife?

The vast majority of knowledge related to the question "To what extent do pharmaceuticals in the environment pose a risk to wildlife?" stems from the Asian vulture crisis (>99% decline of some species of Old World vultures on the Indian subcontinent related to the veterinary use of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug [NSAID] diclofenac). The hazard of diclofenac and other NSAIDs (carprofen, flunixin, ketoprofen, nimesulide, phenylbutazone) to vultures and other avian species has since been demonstrated; indeed, only meloxicam and tolfenamic acid have been found to be vulture-safe. Since diclofenac was approved for veterinary use in Spain and Italy in 2013 (home to ~95% of vultures in Europe), the risk of NSAIDs to vultures in these countries has become one of the principal concerns related to pharmaceuticals and wildlife. Many of the other bodies of work on pharmaceutical exposure, hazard and risk to wildlife also relate to adverse effects in birds (e.g., poisoning of scavenging birds in North America and Europe from animal carcasses containing pentobarbital, secondary and even tertiary poisoning of birds exposed to pesticides used in veterinary medicine as cattle dips, migratory birds as a vector for the transfer of antimicrobial and antifungal resistance). Although there is some research related to endocrine disruption in reptiles and potential exposure of aerial insectivores, there remain numerous knowledge gaps for risk posed by pharmaceuticals to amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. Developing noninvasive sampling techniques and new approach methodologies (e.g., genomic, in vitro, in silico, in ovo) is important if we are to bridge the current knowledge gaps without extensive vertebrate testing. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:595-610. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

First Description of Mergibacter septicus Isolated from a Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) in Germany

Mergibacter septicus (M. septicus), previously known as Bisgaard Taxon 40, is a recently described species within the Pasteurellaceae family. In this study, we present a M. septicus strain isolated from a common tern (Sterna hirundo) chick that died just after fledging from the Banter See in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. The recovered M. septicus strain underwent microbiological phenotypic characterization, followed by whole genome sequencing on Illumina and Nanopore platforms. Phenotypically, M. septicus 19Y0039 demonstrated resistance to colistin, cephalexin, clindamycin, oxacillin, and penicillin G. The genome analysis revealed a circular 1.8 Mbp chromosome without any extrachromosomal elements, containing 1690 coding DNA sequences. The majority of these coding genes were associated with translation, ribosomal structure and biogenesis, followed by RNA processing and modification, and transcription. Genetic analyses revealed that the German M. septicus strain 19Y0039 is related to the American strain M. septicus A25201T. Through BLAST alignment, twelve putative virulence genes previously identified in the M. septicus type strain A25201T were also found in the German strain. Additionally, 84 putative virulence genes distributed across nine categories, including immune modulation, effector delivery system, nutrition/metabolic factors, regulation, stress survival, adherence, biofilm, exotoxin, and motility, were also identified.

Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases (ESBL) Producing Bacteria in Animals

Animals have been identified as potential reservoirs and vectors of resistance genes, with studies showing that Gram-negative bacteria can acquire resistance through the horizontal transmission of resistance genes on plasmids. It is important to understand the distribution of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and their drug-resistant genes in animals. Previous review articles mostly focused on a single bacterium or a single animal. Our objective is to compile all ESBL-producing bacteria isolated from various animals in recent years and provide a comprehensive viewpoint. Using a thorough PubMed literature search spanning from 1 January 2020 to 30 June 2022, studies exploring extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria in animals were included. ESBL-producing bacteria are present in animals from various countries around the world. The most common sources of these bacteria were farm animals, and the most frequently isolated bacteria were Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The most detected ESBL genes were blaTEM, blaSHV, and blaCTX-M. The presence of ESBL-producing bacteria in animals highlights the importance of the One Health approach to address the issue of antibiotic resistance. Further research is needed to better understand the epidemiology and mechanisms of the spread of ESBL-producing bacteria in animal populations and their potential impact on human and animal health.

Prevalence and Phenotypic Antimicrobial Resistance among ESKAPE Bacteria and Enterobacterales Strains in Wild Birds

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a current public health issue globally. To counter this phenomenon and prioritize AMR in the health sector, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a list of bacterial pathogens against which the development of new antimicrobial agents is urgently needed, designating the ESKAPE pathogens (i.e., Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) with a 'priority status'. Moreover, the One Health High Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) states that human health is closely linked to animal and environmental health, thus promoting a holistic One Health approach in order to be prepared to address possible emerging health threats from the human-animal-environment interface. Wild birds may host and spread pathogens, integrating the epidemiology of infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the role of wild birds as a source of ESKAPE bacteria and other antibiotic-resistant enterobacterales. A total of fifty strains within the ESKAPE group were detected in 40/163 cloacal samples of examined birds (24.5%). Additionally, different strains of enterobacterales were detected in 88/163 cloacal samples (53.9%). Isolated strains exhibited antimicrobial resistance, including towards critically important antibiotics (e.g., third, fourth, fifth generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones) for human medicine. Our results confirm that wild birds are potential reservoirs of several pathogens and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and that they could be involved in the dissemination of those bacteria across different environments, with resulting public health concerns.

Dissemination of Carbapenemases and MCR-1 Producing Gram-Negative Bacteria in Aquatic Environments in Batna, Algeria

Antibiotic-resistant-bacteria are being considered as emerging environmental contaminants where the importance of the surrounding environment in their emergence and dissemination has been emphasized. The aim of this study was to screen for the presence and diversity of carbapenem- and colistin-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (GNBs) in different aquatic environments. Water samples were collected in Batna, Algeria. Carbapenem- and colistin-resistant GNBs were selectively isolated and then identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. After phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing, the molecular mechanisms of β-lactams and colistin-resistance were investigated by PCR and sequencing. The clonality of mcr-1 positive Escherichia coli was determined by multi-locus sequence typing. We noticed a high level of resistance in both tap water and wastewater. The most commonly found carbapenem-resistance mechanism was the OXA-48 enzyme, but other carbapenemases were also detected. In addition, the mcr-1 gene was detected in 18 E. coli of different sequence types. Our findings highlight the role of aquatic environments in the dissemination of resistant-bacteria, especially considering that water is a connecting medium between different ecological systems and can easily transmit resistant-bacteria and promote horizontal gene transfer. Thus, the development of effective treatment strategies for eliminating antibiotic-resistance is seriously needed.

Dissemination of OXA-48- and NDM-1-Producing Enterobacterales Isolates in an Algerian Hospital

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Enterobacterales remain an increasing problem in Algeria, notably due to the emergence of carbapenemase producers. We investigated the molecular characteristics of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales isolates recovered from outpatients and inpatients in Eastern Algeria. Non-repetitive Enterobacterales with reduced susceptibility to carbapenems were consecutively collected from clinical specimens in Annaba University Hospital (Algeria) between April 2016 and December 2018. Isolates were characterized with regard to antibiotic resistance, resistome and virulome content, clonality, and plasmid support. Of the 168 isolates analyzed, 29 (17.3%) were carbapenemase producers and identified as K. pneumoniae (n = 23), E. coli (n = 5), and E. cloacae (n = 1). bla_OXA-48 was the most prevalent carbapenemase-encoding gene (n = 26/29), followed by bla_NDM-1 gene (n = 3/29). K. pneumoniae isolates harbored some virulence traits (entB, ugeF, ureA, mrkD, fimH), whereas E. coli had a commensal origin (E, A, and B1). Clonality analysis revealed clonal expansions of ST101 K. pneumoniae and ST758 E. coli. Plasmid analysis showed a large diversity of incompatibility groups, with a predominance of IncM (n = 26, 89.7%). A global dissemination of OXA-48-producing Enterobacterales in the Algerian hospital but also the detection of NDM-1-producing E. coli in community settings were observed. The importance of this diffusion must be absolutely investigated and controlled.