Infection and Drug Resistance (Dec 2023)

Antibiotic Resistance and Epidemiology of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from Clinical Samples in Nantong, China, 2018–2021

  • Huang A,
  • Wang Y,
  • Xu H,
  • Jin X,
  • Yan B,
  • Zhang W

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 16
pp. 7413 – 7425

Abstract

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Ailong Huang,* Yuchao Wang,* Haiyan Xu, Xiuxiu Jin, Bingqing Yan, Wei Zhang Department of Microbiology, Nantong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nantong, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Wei Zhang, Department of Microbiology, Nantong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 189, Gongnong South Road, Chongchuan District, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and molecular characteristics of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates from fecal samples of patients in Nantong, China.Methods: From 2018 to 2021, a total of 106 clinical cases and samples of V. parahaemolyticus infection were collected. The virulence genes, serotypes and antibiotic resistance of these isolates were analyzed. Additionally, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to analyze the homogeneity of the isolates.Results: Outbreaks of V. parahaemolyticus infection were concentrated in the summer, with seafood consumption being the primary contributing factor, followed by meat and meat products. tlh+tdh+trh- was confirmed as the most frequently detected virulence genotype among the clinical isolates. 16 serotypes were identified, and O3:K6 was the dominant serotype in Nantong. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed the highest resistance rate to cefazolin (99.1%, 104/106), followed by ampicillin (64.2%, 68/106) and tetracycline (29.2%, 31/106). Fourteen resistant phenotypes were identified, with ampicillin-cefazolin being the most prevalent. The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index ranged from 0.07 to 0.36. PFGE typing clustered isolates with similarity greater than 85% into ten genetic clusters (A-J).Conclusion: Clinical isolates generally exhibited pathogenicity and drug resistance, with some isolates displaying high homology. Clusters C, E, and G were the predominant circulating clusters in this area, posing a potential risk of recurrent outbreaks, which demanded our vigilance.Keywords: Vibrio parahaemolyticus, clinical isolates, antibiotic resistance, PFGE

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