First Detection of Human ST131-CTX-M-15-O25-B2 Clone and High-Risk Clonal Lineages of ESBL/pAmpC-Producing <i>E. coli</i> Isolates from Diarrheic Poultry in Tunisia
Ahlem Jouini,
Amira Klibi,
Imen Elarbi,
Meriem Ben Chaabene,
Safa Hamrouni,
Oussema Souiai,
Mariem Hanachi,
Abdeljelil Ghram,
Abderrazak Maaroufi
Affiliations
Ahlem Jouini
Laboratory of Epidemiology and Veterinary Microbiology, Group of Bacteriology and Biotechnology Development, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 2092, Tunisia
Amira Klibi
Laboratory of Epidemiology and Veterinary Microbiology, Group of Bacteriology and Biotechnology Development, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 2092, Tunisia
Imen Elarbi
Laboratory of Epidemiology and Veterinary Microbiology, Group of Bacteriology and Biotechnology Development, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 2092, Tunisia
Meriem Ben Chaabene
Laboratory of Epidemiology and Veterinary Microbiology, Group of Bacteriology and Biotechnology Development, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 2092, Tunisia
Safa Hamrouni
Laboratory of Epidemiology and Veterinary Microbiology, Group of Bacteriology and Biotechnology Development, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 2092, Tunisia
Oussema Souiai
Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Biomathematics and Biostatistics-LR16IPT09, Institute Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar (UTM), Tunis 2092, Tunisia
Mariem Hanachi
Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Biomathematics and Biostatistics-LR16IPT09, Institute Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar (UTM), Tunis 2092, Tunisia
Abdeljelil Ghram
Laboratory of Epidemiology and Veterinary Microbiology, Group of Bacteriology and Biotechnology Development, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 2092, Tunisia
Abderrazak Maaroufi
Laboratory of Epidemiology and Veterinary Microbiology, Group of Bacteriology and Biotechnology Development, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 2092, Tunisia
Circulation of a multi-resistance clone of bacteria associated with genetic elements in diseased animals constitutes a global public health problem. Our study focused on the characterization of the support of ESBL in cefotaxime resistant E. coli (CTXR) isolates recovered from poultry with diarrhea, analysis of their clonal lineage, and virulence-associated genes. The study was carried out on 130 samples of chickens with diarrhea, collected in 2015 from poultry farms in Tunisia. Isolates of 20 CTXR E. coli strains were identified as ESBL and AmpC β- lactamase producers. The following β-lactamase genes (number of isolates) were detected: blaCTX-M-15+ blaOXA1 (4), blaCTX-M-15 + blaOXA1 + blaTEM-1b (2), blaCTX-M-1 + blaTEM-1b (9), blaCTX-M-1 (2), blaCMY2 + blaTEM-1b (3). Six E. coli harboring blaCTXM-15 were allocated to ST131-B2-O25b-; six and three blaCTX-M-1 were grouped in ST155, ST10, and ST58, respectively, related to the phylogroup D and A. The qnrB gene, the variant aac(6′)-Ib-cr, and the class 1 integrons with different gene cassettes, were detected amongst our 20 isolated strains, which were classified as ExPEC and aEPEC. Our findings highlighted the emergence of the human pandemic ST131-CTX-M-15-O25-B2 clone and the high risk of such clonal lineage strains in diarrheic poultry, in Tunisia, which could constitute a risk of their transfer to healthy animals and humans.
