First Report of Colistin-Resistant <i>Escherichia coli</i> Carrying <i>mcr-1</i> IncI2(delta) and IncX4 Plasmids from Camels (<i>Camelus dromedarius</i>) in the Gulf Region
Akela Ghazawi,
Nikolaos Strepis,
Febin Anes,
Dana Yaaqeib,
Amal Ahmed,
Aysha AlHosani,
Mirah AlShehhi,
Ashrat Manzoor,
Ihab Habib,
Nisar A. Wani,
John P. Hays,
Mushtaq Khan
Affiliations
Akela Ghazawi
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Nikolaos Strepis
Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Centre (Erasmus MC), P.O. Box 2040 Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Febin Anes
Veterinary Public Health Research Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Dana Yaaqeib
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Amal Ahmed
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Aysha AlHosani
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Mirah AlShehhi
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Ashrat Manzoor
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Ihab Habib
Veterinary Public Health Research Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Nisar A. Wani
Reproductive Biotechnology Center, Dubai P.O. Box 299003, United Arab Emirates
John P. Hays
Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Centre (Erasmus MC), P.O. Box 2040 Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Mushtaq Khan
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Addressing the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant challenge in veterinary and public health. In this study, we focused on determining the presence, phenotypic background, and genetic epidemiology of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance (mcr) in Escherichia coli bacteria isolated from camels farmed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Fecal samples were collected from 50 camels at a Dubai-based farm in the UAE and colistin-resistant Gram-negative bacilli were isolated using selective culture. Subsequently, a multiplex PCR targeting a range of mcr-genes, plasmid profiling, and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) were conducted. Eleven of fifty camel fecal samples (22%) yielded colonies positive for E. coli isolates carrying the mcr-1 gene on mobile genetic elements. No other mcr-gene variants and no chromosomally located colistin resistance genes were detected. Following plasmid profiling and WGS, nine E. coli isolates from eight camels were selected for in-depth analysis. E. coli sequence types (STs) identified included ST7, ST21, ST24, ST399, ST649, ST999, and STdaa2. Seven IncI2(delta) and two IncX4 plasmids were found to be associated with mcr-1 carriage in these isolates. These findings represent the first identification of mcr-1-carrying plasmids associated with camels in the Gulf region. The presence of mcr-1 in camels from this region was previously unreported and serves as a novel finding in the field of AMR surveillance.
