First Detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Migratory Birds in Egypt: Antibiogram, Virulence, and Resistance Gene Profiles Indicating Zoonotic and Public Health Risks

• Published in: Current microbiology 2025-01, Vol.82 (1), p.15-15, Article 15
• Main Authors: Abdel-Raheem, Sherief M, Al-Sultan, Saad Ibrahim, El-Tarabili, Reham M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Migration; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; anti-infective agents; Antibiotic resistance; Antimicrobial agents; Arginine; Arginine decarboxylase; Bacteria; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Zoonoses - microbiology; Bird Diseases - microbiology; Bird migration; Birds - microbiology; Drug resistance; Drug Resistance, Bacterial - genetics; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial - genetics; Egypt; Genes; genetic similarity; Health risks; Humans; Lysine; Lysine decarboxylase; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; migratory behavior; Migratory birds; Multidrug resistance; multiple drug resistance; Ornithine decarboxylase; phenotype; Public Health; resistance genes; risk; shrimp; Vibrio Infections - microbiology; Vibrio Infections - veterinary; Vibrio parahaemolyticus; Vibrio parahaemolyticus - drug effects; Vibrio parahaemolyticus - genetics; Vibrio parahaemolyticus - isolation & purification; Vibrio parahaemolyticus - pathogenicity; Virulence; Virulence - genetics; Virulence Factors - genetics; Zoonoses
• ISSN: 0343-8651; 1432-0991; 1432-0991
• DOI: 10.1007/s00284-024-03992-3

This study examined the occurrence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus obtained from migrating birds, marking the first instance of such research conducted in Egypt. The study assessed potential risks using an antibiogram, virulence characteristics, antibiotic-resistance, and gene profile. Randomly collected 80 samples were tested for V. parahaemolyticus. Eleven (13.75%) samples were V. parahaemolyticus-contaminated. All isolates were positive for 16SrRNA and species-specific toxR genes. Interestingly, our strain is genetically similar to human and shrimp isolates, suggesting zoonotic transmission may pose a health danger. All isolates had 100% l-lysine decarboxylase, 45.45% beta-hemolytic, and 100% l-ornithine decarboxylase activity. All isolates displayed no l-arginine decarboxylase activity. Notably, every isolate possessed a minimum of two virulence genes. In addition, the profiles of virulence genes were identified, tdh + /trh + (27.3%), tdh-/trh + (27.3%), and tdh + /trh- (45.4%). Out of the V. parahaemolyticus isolates, 18.2% (2/11) were extensively drug-resistant (XDR) to six different antimicrobials classes and possessed the bla , bla , sul1, and tetA genes. Furthermore, 63.6% of the isolates displayed multidrug resistance (MDR). The correlation highlights a strong relationship between phenotypic and genotypic resistance. Besides the strong correlation between virulence and resistance genes. In summary, this work highlighted the presence of newly identified MDR and XDR V. parahaemolyticus carried toxR, trh, and tdh virulence genes, as well as bla , bla , sul1, and tetA resistance genes in migratory birds, indicating a significant public health risk.