Emergence of a Clonal Lineage of Multidrug-Resistant ESBL-Producing Salmonella Infantis Transmitted from Broilers and Broiler Meat to Humans in Italy between 2011 and 2014

PLoS One. 2015 Dec 30;10(12):e0144802. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144802. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

We report the spread of a clone of multidrug-resistant (MDR), ESBL-producing (blaCTX-M-1) Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Infantis, in the Italian broiler chicken industry and along the food-chain. This was first detected in Italy in 2011 and led to human infection in Italy in 2013-2014.A set (n = 49) of extended-spectrum cephalosporin (ESC)-resistant (R) isolates of S. Infantis (2011-2014) from humans, food-producing animals and meat thereof, were studied along with a selected set of earlier and more recent ESC-susceptible (ESC-S) isolates (n = 42, 2001-2014). They were characterized by macrorestriction-PFGE analysis and genetic environment of ESC-resistance. Isolates representative of PFGE-patterns and origin were submitted to Whole Genome Sequencing. The emerging ESC-R clone, detected mainly from broiler chickens, broiler meat and humans, showed a minimum pattern of clinical resistance to cefotaxime, tetracycline, sulfonamides, and trimethoprim, beside ciprofloxacin microbiological resistance (MIC 0.25 mg/L). All isolates of this clone harbored a conjugative megaplasmid (~ 280-320 Kb), similar to that described in ESC-susceptible S. Infantis in Israel (pESI-like) in 2014. This megaplasmid carried the ESBL gene blaCTX-M-1, and additional genes [tet(A), sul1, dfrA1 and dfrA14] mediating cefotaxime, tetracycline, sulfonamide, and trimethoprim resistance. It also contained genes conferring enhanced colonization capability, virulence (fimbriae, yersiniabactin), resistance and fitness (qacE1, mer) in the intensive-farming environment. This emerging clone of S. Infantis has been causing infections in humans, most likely through the broiler industry. Since S. Infantis is among major serovars causing human infections in Europe and is an emerging non-typhoidal Salmonella globally, further spread of this lineage in primary productions deserves quick and thorough risk-management strategies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cephalosporin Resistance / genetics
  • Chickens / microbiology*
  • Conjugation, Genetic
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / genetics*
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
  • Genes, Bacterial
  • Humans
  • Italy
  • Meat / microbiology*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Multilocus Sequence Typing
  • Phylogeny*
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / genetics
  • Salmonella / classification
  • Salmonella / genetics
  • Salmonella / physiology*
  • Salmonella Infections, Animal / genetics
  • Salmonella Infections, Animal / microbiology*
  • beta-Lactamases / biosynthesis*

Substances

  • beta-Lactamases

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the COMPARE project under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 643476). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.