High diversity of pathogenic Escherichia coli clones carrying mcr-1 among gulls underlines the need for strategies at the environment-livestock-human interface

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2022

Authors

Ribeiro-Almeida, M. (Author) Other; Mourão, J. (Author) Other; Novais, A. (Author) Other; Pereira, S. (Author) Other; Freitas-Silva, J. (Author) Other; Ribeiro, S. (Author) Other; da Costa, P.M. (Author) Other; Peixe, L. (Author) FFUP; Antunes, Patrícia (Author) FCNAUP

Journal

Title: Environmental Microbiology

ISSN: 1462-2912

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 3 Citations

Scopus - 3 Citations

Scientific classification

CORDIS: Health sciences

FOS: Medical and Health sciences

Associated Projects

AGRIFOOD-XXI - AGRIFOOD-XXI

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00X-003

DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16111

Abstract (EN): The expansion of mcr-carrying bacteria is a well-recognized public health problem. Measures to contain mcr spread have mainly been focused on the food-animal production sector. Nevertheless, the spread of MCR producers at the environmental interface particularly driven by the increasing population of gulls in coastal cities has been less explored. Occurrence of mcr-carrying Escherichia coli in gull's colonies faeces on a Portuguese beach was screened over 7 months. Cultural, molecular and genomic approaches were used to characterize their diversity, mcr plasmids and adaptive features. Multidrug-resistant mcr-1-carrying E. coli were detected for 3 consecutive months. Over time, multiple strains were recovered, including zoonotic-related pathogenic E. coli clones (e.g. B2-ST131-H22, A-ST10 and B1-ST162). Diverse mcr-1 genetic environments were mainly associated with ST2/ST4-HI2 (ST10, ST131, ST162, ST354 and ST4204) but also IncI2 (ST12990) plasmids or in the chromosome (ST656). Whole-genome sequencing revealed enrichment of these strains on antibiotic resistance, virulence and metal tolerance genes. Our results underscore gulls as important spreaders of high-priority bacteria and genes that may affect the environment, food-animals and/or humans, potentially undermining One-Health strategies to reduce colistin resistance.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 12