AUTHOR=Schultz Eliette , Cloeckaert Axel , Doublet Benoît , Madec Jean-Yves , Haenni Marisa 

TITLE=Detection of SGI1/PGI1 Elements and Resistance to Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporins in Proteae of Animal Origin in France

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2017.00032

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2017.00032

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Proteae</italic>, and especially <italic>Proteus mirabilis</italic>, are often the cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in humans. They were reported as carriers of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes, and recently of carbapenemases, mostly carried by the <italic>Salmonella</italic> genomic island 1 (SGI1) and <italic>Proteus</italic> genomic island 1 (PGI1). <italic>Proteae</italic> have also lately become an increasing cause of UTIs in companion animals, but antimicrobial susceptibility data in animals are still scarce. Here, we report the characterization of 468 clinical epidemiologically unrelated <italic>Proteae</italic> strains from animals collected between 2013 and 2015 in France. Seventeen <italic>P. mirabilis</italic> strains (3.6%) were positive for SGI1/PGI1 and 18 <italic>Proteae</italic> (3.8%) were resistant to extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESC). The 28 isolates carrying SGI1/PGI1 and/or ESC-resistance genes were isolated from cats, dogs, and horses. ESBL genes were detected in six genetically related <italic>P. mirabilis</italic> harboring <italic>bla</italic><sub>V EB-6</sub> on the SGI1-V variant, but also independently of the SGI1-V, in 3 <italic>P. mirabilis</italic> strains (<italic>bla</italic><sub>VEB-6</sub> and <italic>bla</italic><sub>CTX-M-15</sub>) and 1 <italic>Providencia rettgeri</italic> strain (<italic>bla</italic><sub>CTX-M-1</sub>). The AmpC resistance genes <italic>bla</italic><sub>CMY -2</sub> and/or <italic>bla</italic><sub>DHA-16</sub> were detected in 9 <italic>P. mirabilis</italic> strains. One strain presented both an ESBL and AmpC gene. Interestingly, the majority of the ESBL/AmpC resistance genes were located on the chromosome. In conclusion, multiple ESC-resistance genetic determinants are circulating in French animals, even though SGI1-V-carrying <italic>P. mirabilis</italic> seems to be mainly responsible for the spread of the ESBL gene <italic>bla</italic><sub>VEB-6</sub> in dogs and horses. These results are of public health relevance and show that companion animals in close contact with humans should be regarded as a potential reservoir of ESC-resistant bacteria as well as a reservoir of ESC-resistance genes that could further disseminate to human pathogens.</p>