Escherichia coli of poultry food origin as reservoir of sulphonamide resistance genes and integrons

• Published in: International journal of food microbiology 2011-01, Vol.144 (3), p.497-502
• Main Authors: Soufi, Leila, Sáenz, Yolanda, Vinué, Laura, Abbassi, Mohamed Salah, Ruiz, Elena, Zarazaga, Myriam, Ben Hassen, Assia, Hammami, Salah, Torres, Carmen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal productions; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; antibiotic resistance; antimicrobial resistance reservoirs; bacterial contamination; Biological and medical sciences; commensalism; Drug Resistance, Bacterial - genetics; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli - isolation & purification; Escherichia coli Proteins - genetics; food contamination; Food industries; Food Microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; genes; genotype; Integron; integrons; Integrons - genetics; Meat - microbiology; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Phenotype; Poultry - microbiology; poultry meat; sulfonamide resistance genes; sulfonamides; Sulfonamides - pharmacology; Sulphonamide; Terrestrial animal productions; Vertebrates
• ISSN: 0168-1605; 1879-3460
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2010.11.008

The antimicrobial resistance phenotype and genotype, the flanking regions of sulphonamide resistance genes and the integrons were analyzed in 166 Escherichia coli isolates recovered from poultry meat in Tunisia. High percentages of resistance were detected to ampicillin, streptomycin, nalidixic acid, sulphonamide and tetracycline (66–95%), and lower percentages to gentamicin, amoxicillin–clavulanic acid and cefoxitin (1–4%). The blaTEM, tet(A)/tet(B), aph(3′)-Ia, aac(6′)-Ib-cr, aac(3)-II and cmlA genes were identified in 92, 82, 29, 2, 2 and 7 isolates, respectively. Class 1 and/or class 2 integrons were detected in 52% of E. coli isolates and five different gene cassette arrangements were identified in the variable regions of class 1 integrons, which included antimicrobial resistance determinants. Sixty-eight isolates contained the sul1 gene and 37 of them presented this gene into a class 1 integron structure. The sul3 gene was detected associated with non-classic class 1 integrons in 4 out of 46 sul3-positive isolates. The sul2 gene was detected in 66 isolates, 51 of them were linked to strA/B genes in seven different genetic structures. Seventy-three-per-cent of integron-positive isolates presented resistance to at least five different antimicrobial families versus 38.7% of integron-negative isolates. Our study highlights the role of commensal E. coli isolates from poultry meat as an important reservoir for sulphonamide resistance genes and integrons carrying antimicrobial resistance genes. ► High frequency of resistance in food Escherichia coli isolates. ► Almost half of food E. coli isolates contain integrons. ► Frequent detection of sulphonamide resistance genes in food E. coli isolates.