Food-producing animals as reservoirs of resistance to Critically Important Antibiotics

Funder

Organizational Unit

Publications

Building an International One Health Strain Level Database to Characterise the Epidemiology of AMR Threats: ESBL—AmpC Producing E. coli as An Example—Challenges and Perspectives

Publication . Perestrelo, Sara; Amaro, Ana; Brouwer, Michael S.M.; Clemente, Lurdes; Ribeiro Duarte, Ana Sofia; Kaesbohrer, Annemarie; Karpíšková, Renata; Lopez-Chavarrias, Vicente; Morris, Dearbháile; Prendergast, Deirdre; Pista, Angela; Silveira, Leonor; Skarżyńska, Magdalena; Slowey, Rosemarie; Veldman, Kees T.; Zając, Magdalena; Burgess, Catherine; Alvarez, Julio

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top public health threats nowadays. Among the most important AMR pathogens, Escherichia coli resistant to extended spectrum cephalosporins (ESC-EC) is a perfect example of the One Health problem due to its global distribution in animal, human, and environmental sources and its resistant phenotype, derived from the carriage of plasmid-borne extended-spectrum and AmpC β-lactamases, which limits the choice of effective antimicrobial therapies. The epidemiology of ESC-EC infection is complex as a result of the multiple possible sources involved in its transmission, and its study would require databases ideally comprising information from animal (livestock, companion, wildlife), human, and environmental sources. Here, we present the steps taken to assemble a database with phenotypic and genetic information on 10,763 ESC-EC isolates retrieved from multiple sources provided by 13 partners located in eight European countries, in the frame of the DiSCoVeR Joint Research project funded by the One Health European Joint Programme (OH-EJP), along with its strengths and limitations. This database represents a first step to help in the assessment of different geographical and temporal trends and transmission dynamics in animals and humans. The work performed highlights aspects that should be considered in future international efforts, such as the one presented here.

2023-03Journal article

Open access

Genetic Diversity of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Enteritidis from Human and Non-Human Sources in Portugal

Publication . Leão, Célia; Silveira, Leonor; Usié, Ana; Gião, Joana; Clemente, Lurdes; Themudo, Patricia; Amaro, Ana; Pista, Angela

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) is one of the leading causes of foodborne infections associated with broilers and laying hens. Portugal has had the lowest notification rates of salmonellosis in recent years, due to the vaccinations of layer and breeder flocks and strict compliance with biosecurity measures. However, data about the genetic diversity of S. Enteritidis in Portugal are scarce. In this study, 102 S. Enteritidis isolates selected from human (n = 63) and non-human sources (n = 39) were characterized by serotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility, and whole genome sequencing. The S. Enteritidis population was mainly resistant to fluoroquinolones, and a sole isolate showed resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins. ST11 was the most frequent sequence type, and three novel STs from human isolates (ST9236, ST4457, and ST9995) were assigned. Several Salmonella pathogenic islands (SPI) and Putative SPI were present in the genomes, namely SPI-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 14, C63PI, CS54_island, and 170 virulence genes were identified. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that strains from Portugal are genetically heterogeneous regarding sample type, collection date, and genetic content. This study increases the available data, essential to a better characterization of strains in a global context.

2024-01-26Journal article

Open access

Funding agency

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Funding programme

3599-PPCDT

Funding Award Number

PTDC/CVT-CVT/28469/2017