Urban brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) as possible source of multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp., Vienna, Austria, 2016 and 2017

Background: Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) are an important wildlife species in cities, where they live in close proximity to humans. However, few studies have investigated their role as reservoir of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Aim: We intended to determine whether urban rats at two highly frequented sites in Vienna, Austria, carry extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae, fluoroquinolone-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and meticillin-resistant (MR) Staphylococcus spp. (MRS). Methods: We surveyed the presence of antimicrobial resistance in 62 urban brown rats captured in 2016 and 2017 in Vienna, Austria. Intestinal and nasopharyngeal samples were cultured on selective media. We character-ised the isolates and their antimicrobial properties using microbiological and genetic methods including disk diffusion, microarray analysis, sequencing, and detection and characterisation of plasmids. Results: Eight multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli and two extensively drug-resistant New Delhi metallo-β-lactamases-1 (NDM-1)-producing Enterobacter xiangfangensis ST114 (En. cloacae complex) were isolated from nine of 62 rats. Nine Enterobacteriaceae isolates harboured the blaCTX-M gene and one carried a plasmid-encoded ampC gene (blaCMY-2). Forty-four MRS were isolated from 37 rats; they belonged to seven different staphylococcal species: S. fleuret-tii, S. sciuri, S. aureus, S. pseudintermedius, S. epidermidis, S. haemolyticus (all mecA-positive) and mecC-positive S. xylosus. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that brown rats in cities are a potential source of multidrug-resistant bacteria, including carbapenem-resistant En. xiangfangensis ST114. Considering the increasing worldwide urbanisation, rodent control remains an important priority for health in modern cities. © 2019, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). All rights reserved.

Keywords

beta lactamase CTX M, meticillin, quinoline derived antiinfective agent, antiinfective agent, animal tissue, antibiotic resistance, Austria, bacterial gene, bacterial strain, bacterium isolation, blaCTX M gene, disk diffusion, DNA microarray, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter xiangfangensis ST114, extended spectrum beta lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae, fluoroquinolone resistance, gene sequence, genetic analysis, mecA gene, mecC gene, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, microarray analysis, microbiological examination, multidrug resistant Enterobacteriaceae, multidrug resistant Escherichia coli, nasopharynx, plasmid, rat, Rattus norvegicus, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus fleurettii, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, Staphylococcus sciuri, Staphylococcus xylosus, DNA sequence, Enterobacteriaceae infection, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus

URI

https://oa.tib.eu/renate/handle/123456789/7050
https://doi.org/10.34657/6097

Citation

Desvars-Larrive, A., Ruppitsch, W., Lepuschitz, S., Szostak, M. P., Spergser, J., Feßler, A. T., et al. (2019). Urban brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) as possible source of multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp., Vienna, Austria, 2016 and 2017. 24(32). https://doi.org//10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2019.24.32.1900149

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Medizin

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CC BY 4.0 Unported

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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