AUTHOR=Li Qun , Wang Hong , Xu Yanmei , Bai Xiangning , Wang Jianping , Zhang Zhengdong , Liu Xiang , Miao Yimao , Zhang Ling , Li Xinqiong , Zou Nianli , Yan Guodong , Chen Xi , Zhang Jie , Fu Shanshan , Fan Ruyue , Xu Jianguo , Li Juan , Xiong Yanwen 

TITLE=Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia albertii: Co-occurrence of β-Lactamase and MCR-1 Encoding Genes

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.00258

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2018.00258

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Escherichia albertii</italic> is an emerging member of the <italic>Enterobacteriaceae</italic> causing human and animal enteric infections. Antimicrobial resistance among enteropathogens has been reported to be increasing in the past years. The purpose of this study was to investigate antibiotic resistance and resistance genes in <italic>E. albertii</italic> isolated from Zigong city, Sichuan province, China. The susceptibility to 21 antimicrobial agents was determined by Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. The highest prevalence was tetracycline resistance with a rate of 62.7%, followed by resistance to nalidixic acid and streptomycin with a rate of 56.9 and 51.0%, respectively. All isolates were sensitive or intermediate susceptible to imipenem, meropenem, amoxicillin–clavulanic acid, and levofloxacin. Among 51 <italic>E. albertii</italic> isolates, 15 were extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing as confirmed by the double disk test. The main β-lactamase gene groups, i.e., <italic>bla</italic><sub>TEM</sub>, <italic>bla</italic><sub>SHV</sub>, and <italic>bla</italic><sub>CTX-M</sub>, were detected in17, 20, and 22 isolates, respectively. Furthermore, four colistin-resistant isolates with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 8 mg/L were identified. The colistin-resistant isolates all harbored <italic>mcr-1</italic> and <italic>bla</italic><sub>CTX-M-55</sub>. Genome sequencing showed that <italic>E. albertii</italic> strain SP140150 carried <italic>mcr-1</italic> and <italic>bla</italic><sub>CTX-M-55</sub> in two different plasmids. This study provided significant information regarding antibiotic resistance profiles and identified the co-occurrence of β-lactamase and MCR-1 encoding genes in <italic>E. albertii</italic> isolates.</p>