Detection of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae in vegetables, soil and water of the farm environment in Tunisia

International audienceOne-hundred-nine samples of 18 different farms (49 of food-vegetables, 41 of soil and 19 of irrigation water) and 45 vegetable food samples of 13 markets were collected in Tunisia. These samples were inoculated in MacConkey agar plates supplemented with cefotaxime (2 μg/ml). ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-Eb) were detected in 10 of the 109 farm samples (vegetables, 8.2%; soil, 7.3%; water, 15.8%), and in 4 of 45 vegetables of markets (8.9%), recovering 15 ESBL-Eb. Isolates and ESBL genes detected were: Escherichia coli (n = 8: 5 blaCTX-M-1, 2 blaCTX-M-15 and one blaCTX-M-14), Citrobacter freundii (n = 4: 3 blaCTX-M-15 and one blaSHV-12), Enterobacter hormaechei (n = 2: 2 blaCTX-M-15) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 1, blaCTX-M-15). The ISEcp1 sequence was found upstream of blaCTX-M genes in 13 of 14 strains (in three cases truncated by IS5), and orf477 or IS903 downstream. Class 1 integrons were detected in five strains and contained two gene cassette arrangements (dfrA17-aadA5 and aadA1). Most isolates tested showed a multiresistant phenotype. All blaCTX-M-15-positive strains carried the aac(6′)-1b-cr gene, that affects to amikacin–tobramycin–kanamycin–ciprofloxacin. Five ESBL-Eb strains carried genes of the qnr family. The 8 ESBL-positive E. coli isolates were typed as: ST58/B1 (n = 3) and ST117/D, ST131/B2, ST10/A, ST23/A, and the new ST3496/D (one strain, each). From 1–2 plasmids were detected in all ESBL-positive E. coli isolates (63–179 kb). The ESBL genes were transferred by conjugation in 4 blaCTX-M-1-positive E. coli strains, and transconjugants acquired a 97 kb IncI1 plasmid. ESBL-Eb isolates are frequently disseminated in vegetable farms and potentially could be transmitted to humans through the food chain

Characteristics of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)- and pAmpC beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae of water samples in Tunisia

International audienceThe presence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase and plasmid-mediated AmpC beta-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-Eb and pAmpC-Eb, respectively) was analyzed in 57 wastewater and 57 surface-water samples in Tunisia. Twenty-four of the 57 wastewater samples (42.1%) and one of the 57 surface-water samples (1.7%, a river that received effluents of a wastewater-treatment-plant) contained ESBL-Eb or pAmpC-Eb; one ESBL/pAmpC-Eb per positive sample was further characterized. Beta-lactamase genes detected were as follows: blaCTX-M-1 (10 Escherichia coli),blaCTX-M-15 (eight E. coli, one Klebsiella pneumoniae, one Citrobacter freundii), blaCTX-M-14 (one E. coli) and blaCMY-2 (four E. coli). The blaTEM-1, blaOXA-1 or blaSHV-1 genes were also found in 72% of these isolates. The ISEcp1, orf477 or IS903 sequences were found upstream or downstream of blaCTX-M genes. Class 1 integrons were present in 16 of the 25 ESBL-Eb/pAmpC-Eb strains (64%), and contained five different gene-cassette arrays. Most of the strains (76%) showed a multiresistant phenotype and qnr genes were identified in four strains. Molecular typing of ESBL/CMY-2-producing E. coli isolates showed 23 different PFGE-patterns and 15 different sequence-types (ST10, ST46, ST48, ST58, ST69, ST101, ST117, ST131, ST141, ST288, ST359, ST399, ST405, ST617, and the new ST4530); these strains were ascribed to phylogroups A (11 isolates), B1 (3 isolates), D (6 isolates) and B2 (3 isolates). From one to five plasmids were detected in each strain (size from 30 kb to > 240 kb) and ESBL or pAmpC genes were transferred by conjugation in 69.5% of the E. coli strains. In conclusion, ESBL-Eb and pAmpC-Eb strains are frequently detected in wastewater samples and they might be a source for dissemination in other environments with repercussion in public health

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus from Diabetic Foot Infections in a Tunisian Hospital with the First Detection of MSSA CC398-t571

This study sought to analyze the antimicrobial resistant phenotypes and genotypes as well as the virulence content of S. aureus isolates recovered from patients with diabetic foot infections (DFIs) in a Tunisian hospital. Eighty-three clinical samples of 64 patients were analyzed, and bacterial isolates were identified by MALDI-TOF. The antimicrobial resistance phenotypes were determined by the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion susceptibility test. Resistance and virulence genes, agr profile, spa and SCCmec types were determined by PCR and sequencing. S. aureus was detected in 14 of the 64 patients (21.9%), and 15 S. aureus isolates were recovered. Six out of the fifteen S. aureus isolates were methicillin-resistant (MRSA, mecA-positive) (40%). The isolates harbored the following resistance genes (number of isolates): blaZ (12), erm(B) (2), erm(A) (1), msrA (2), tet(M) (2), tet(K) (3), tet(L) (1), aac(6′)-aph(2″) (2), ant(4″) (1) and fexA (1). The lukS/F-PV and tst genes were detected in three isolates. Twelve different spa-types were identified and assigned to seven clonal complexes with the predominance of agr-type III. Furthermore, the SCCmec types III, IV and V were found among the MRSA isolates. Moreover, one MSSA CC398-t571-agr-III isolate was found; it was susceptible to all antimicrobial agents and lacked luk-S/F-PV, tst, eta and etb genes. This is the first report on the prevalence and molecular characterization of S. aureus from DFIs and also the first detection of the MSSA-CC398-t571 clone in human infections in Tunisia. Our findings indicated a high prevalence S. aureus in DFIs with genetic diversity among the MSSA and MRSA isolates

Antibiotic resistance and virulence of faecal enterococci isolated from food-producing animals in Tunisia

Antimicrobial agents exert a selection pressure not only on pathogenic, but also on commensal bacteria of the intestinal tract of humans and animals. The aim of this work was to determine the occurrence of different enterococcal species and to analyse the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance and the mechanisms implicated, as well as the genetic diversity in enterococci recovered from faecal samples of food-producing animals (poultry, beef and sheep) in Tunisia. Antimicrobial resistance and the mechanisms implicated were studied in 87 enterococci recovered from 96 faecal samples from animals of Tunisian farms. Enterococcus faecium was the most prevalent species detected (46 %), followed by E. hirae (33.5 %). High percentages of resistance to erythromycin and tetracycline were found among our isolates, and lower percentages to aminoglycosides and ciprofloxacin were identified. Most of the tetracycline-resistant isolates carried the tet(M) and/or tet(L) genes. The erm(B) gene was detected in all erythromycin-resistant isolates. The ant(6)-Ia, aph(3)-Ia and aac(6)-aph(2) genes were detected in nine aminoglycoside-resistant isolates. Of our isolates, 11.5 % carried the gelE gene and exhibited gelatinase acitivity. The esp gene was detected in 10 % of our isolates and the hyl gene was not present in any isolate. The predominant species (E. faecium and E. hirae) showed a high genetic diversity by repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP)-PCR. Food animals might play a role in the spread through the food chain of enterococci with virulence and resistance traits to humans. © 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg and the University of Milan