Epidemiology and genetic characterization of tet(X4)-positive Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella quasipneumoniae isolated from raw meat in Chengdu City, China

Weishuai Zhai; Yiqing Wang; Honghu Sun; Bo Fu; Qidi Zhang; Congming Wu; Jianzhong Shen; Dejun Liu; Yang Wang

Biosafety and Health (Apr 2024)

Epidemiology and genetic characterization of tet(X4)-positive Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella quasipneumoniae isolated from raw meat in Chengdu City, China

Weishuai Zhai,
Yiqing Wang,
Honghu Sun,
Bo Fu,
Qidi Zhang,
Congming Wu,
Jianzhong Shen,
Dejun Liu,
Yang Wang

Affiliations

Weishuai Zhai: National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Technology Innovation Center for Food Safety Surveillance and Detection, Sanya Institute, China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China
Yiqing Wang: National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Honghu Sun: Irradiation Preservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Food Inspection, Chengdu 611135, China
Bo Fu: National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Qidi Zhang: College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
Congming Wu: National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Technology Innovation Center for Food Safety Surveillance and Detection, Sanya Institute, China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China
Jianzhong Shen: National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Technology Innovation Center for Food Safety Surveillance and Detection, Sanya Institute, China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China
Dejun Liu: National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Technology Innovation Center for Food Safety Surveillance and Detection, Sanya Institute, China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China; Corresponding authors: National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China (D. Liu and Y. Wang).
Yang Wang: National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Technology Innovation Center for Food Safety Surveillance and Detection, Sanya Institute, China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China; Corresponding authors: National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China (D. Liu and Y. Wang).

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 6, no. 2
pp. 116 – 124

Abstract

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The rapid spread of mobile tigecycline resistance presents a significant public health threat, particularly with the increasing prevalence of tet(X4)-positive Enterobacterales across various species. This study aimed to investigate the epidemic features and transmission dynamics of tet(X4)-positive Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) through the analysis of 206 raw meats, including pork (n = 182), beef (n = 16), duck (n = 5), and chicken (n = 3). These samples were collected from schools, markets, and restaurants in Chengdu City, China. A total of 25 isolates were obtained from 13 administrative regions. All isolates exhibited resistance to tetracycline, tigecycline, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and florfenicol. Over half of the isolates also demonstrated resistance to streptomycin (80 %), sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (72 %), ciprofloxacin (64 %), and ampicillin/sulbactam (56 %). Among these strains, 14 distinct sequence types (STs) were identified, revealing evidence of inter-regional clonal spread, notably among 9 K. pneumoniae ST3393. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of two K. pneumoniae ST5 closely resembling hypervirulent K. pneumoniae from Jiangsu. Importantly, 12 isolates were capable of transferring tigecycline resistance to Escherichia coli J53. Further plasmid analysis showed that the tet(X4)-harboring plasmids in K. pneumoniae could be classified into four types, primarily belonging to the IncFIA(HI1)/HI1A/HI1B hybrid plasmid (n = 16) and IncFII plasmid (n = 7), which significantly contributed to the cross-species dissemination of tet(X4). In summary, this study highlights the prevalence of MDR tet(X4)-positive K. pneumoniae in Chengdu, driven predominantly by clonal expansion and plasmid-mediated horizontal gene transfer. These findings emphasize the importance of continuous surveillance of tet(X4)-positive K. pneumoniae in raw meat and the implementation of effective measures to control their spread.

Published in Biosafety and Health

ISSN: 2590-0536 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Infectious and parasitic diseases; Medicine: Public aspects of medicine
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/biosafety-and-health/

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