Unveiling a <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> Outbreak in a Rabbit Farm: Clinical Manifestation, Antimicrobial Resistance, Genomic Insights and Environmental Investigation

Inês C. Rodrigues; Marisa Ribeiro-Almeida; Leonor Silveira; Joana C. Prata; André Pinto de Carvalho; Carla Roque; João Paulo Gomes; Vítor Borges; Ângela Pista; Paulo Martins da Costa

doi:10.3390/microorganisms12040785

Microorganisms (Apr 2024)

Unveiling a <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> Outbreak in a Rabbit Farm: Clinical Manifestation, Antimicrobial Resistance, Genomic Insights and Environmental Investigation

Inês C. Rodrigues,
Marisa Ribeiro-Almeida,
Leonor Silveira,
Joana C. Prata,
André Pinto de Carvalho,
Carla Roque,
João Paulo Gomes,
Vítor Borges,
Ângela Pista,
Paulo Martins da Costa

Affiliations

Inês C. Rodrigues: School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
Marisa Ribeiro-Almeida: School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
Leonor Silveira: National Reference Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Infections, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal
Joana C. Prata: School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
André Pinto de Carvalho: School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
Carla Roque: National Reference Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Infections, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal
João Paulo Gomes: Genomics and Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal
Vítor Borges: Genomics and Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal
Ângela Pista: National Reference Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Infections, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal
Paulo Martins da Costa: School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12040785
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 4
p. 785

Abstract

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Listeria monocytogenes poses a threat to both human and animal health. This work describes an L. monocytogenes outbreak in a Portuguese rabbit farm, detailing the isolates’ clinical manifestations, necropsy findings, and phenotypic and genomic profiles. Clinical signs, exclusively observed in does, included lethargy and reproductive signs. Post-mortem examination of does revealed splenomegaly, hepatomegaly with a reticular pattern, pulmonary congestion, and haemorrhagic lesions in the uterus, with thickening of the uterine wall and purulent greyish exudates. Positive L. monocytogenes samples were identified in fattening and maternity units across different samples, encompassing does and environmental samples. Core-genome Multi Locus Sequence Typing (cgMLST) analysis confirmed the outbreak, with the 16 sequenced isolates (lineage II, CC31, and ST325) clustering within a ≤2 allelic difference (AD) threshold. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing for five antibiotics revealed that 15 out of 19 outbreak isolates were resistant to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SXT). Concordantly, all SXT-resistant sequenced isolates were found to exclusively harbour a plasmid containing a trimethoprim-resistance gene (dfrD), along with loci linked to resistance to lincosamides (lnuG), macrolides (mphB), and polyether ionophores (NarAB operon). All sequenced outbreak isolates carried the antibiotic resistance-related genes tetM, fosX, lin, norB, lmrB, sul, and mprF. The outbreak cluster comprises isolates from does and the environment, which underscores the ubiquitous presence of L. monocytogenes and emphasizes the importance of biosecurity measures. Despite limited data on listeriosis in rabbit farming, this outbreak reveals its significant impact on animal welfare and production.

Published in Microorganisms

ISSN: 2076-2607 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Biology (General)
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/microorganisms

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