Antimicrobial Resistance of Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> Isolated from Humans and Domestic Animals
Yanyu Pan,
Bin Hu,
Xiangning Bai,
Xi Yang,
Lijiao Cao,
Qian Liu,
Hui Sun,
Juan Li,
Ji Zhang,
Dong Jin,
Yanwen Xiong
Affiliations
Yanyu Pan
State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Bin Hu
Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan 250014, China
Xiangning Bai
State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Xi Yang
State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Lijiao Cao
State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Qian Liu
State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Hui Sun
State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Juan Li
State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Ji Zhang
mEpiLab, New Zealand Food Safety Science & Research Center, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, 4442 Palmerston North, New Zealand
Dong Jin
State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Yanwen Xiong
State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is an important pathogen that can cause zoonotic diseases. To investigate the antimicrobial resistance of STEC in China, non-O157 STEC isolates, recovered from domestic animals and humans from 12 provinces, were analyzed using antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole genome characterization. Out of the 298 isolates tested, 115 strains showed resistance to at least one antimicrobial and 85 strains showed multidrug resistance. The highest resistance rate was to tetracycline (32.6%), followed by nalidixic acid (25.2%) and chloramphenicol and azithromycin (both 18.8%). However, imipenem and meropenem were effective against all isolates. Antimicrobial resistance patterns varied among strains from different sources. Strains from pig, sheep, humans, and cattle showed resistance rates of 100.0%, 46.9%, 30.3%, and 6.3% to one or more antimicrobials, respectively. Forty-three genes related to 11 antimicrobial classes were identified among these strains. The colistin-resistance gene mcr was only carried by strains from pigs. A new fosfomycin-resistant gene, fosA7, was detected in strains from humans, cattle, and sheep. Whole genome phylogenetic analysis showed that strains from the four sources were genetically diverse and scattered throughout the phylogenetic tree; however, some strains from the same source had a tendency to cluster closely. These results provide a reference to monitor the emergence and spread of multidrug resistant STEC strains among animals and humans. Furthermore, with a better understanding of antimicrobial genotypes and phenotypes among the diverse STEC strains obtained, this study could guide the administration of antimicrobial drugs in STEC infections when necessary.
