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    The Pheno- and Genotypic Characterization of Porcine Escherichia coli Isolates
    (Basel : MDPI, 2021) Bernreiter-Hofer, Tanja; Schwarz, Lukas; Müller, Elke; Cabal-Rosel, Adriana; Korus, Maciej; Misic, Dusan; Frankenfeld, Katrin; Abraham, Kerstin; Grünzweil, Olivia; Weiss, Astrid; Feßler, Andrea T.; Allerberger, Franz; Schwarz, Stefan; Szostak, Michael P.; Ruppitsch, Werner; Ladinig, Andrea; Spergser, Joachim; Braun, Sascha D.; Monecke, Stefan; Ehricht, Ralf; Loncaric, Igor
    Escherichia (E.) coli is the main causative pathogen of neonatal and post-weaning diarrhea and edema disease in swine production. There is a significant health concern due to an increasing number of human infections associated with food and/or environmental-borne pathogenic and multidrug-resistant E. coli worldwide. Monitoring the presence of pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant E. coli isolates is essential for sustainable disease management in livestock and human medicine. A total of 102 E. coli isolates of diseased pigs were characterized by antimicrobial and biocide susceptibility testing. Antimicrobial resistance genes, including mobile colistin resistance genes, were analyzed by PCR and DNA sequencing. The quinolone resistance-determining regions of gyrA and parC in ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates were analyzed. Clonal relatedness was investigated by two-locus sequence typing (CH clonotyping). Phylotyping was performed by the Clermont multiplex PCR method. Virulence determinants were analyzed by customized DNA-based microarray technology developed in this study for fast and economic molecular multiplex typing. Thirty-five isolates were selected for whole-genome sequence-based analysis. Most isolates were resistant to ampicillin and tetracycline. Twenty-one isolates displayed an ESBL phenotype and one isolate an AmpC β-lactamase-producing phenotype. Three isolates had elevated colistin minimal inhibitory concentrations and carried the mcr-1 gene. Thirty-seven isolates displayed a multi-drug resistance phenotype. The most predominant β-lactamase gene classes were blaTEM-1 (56%) and blaCTX-M-1 (13.71%). Mutations in QRDR were observed in 14 ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates. CH clonotyping divided all isolates into 51 CH clonotypes. The majority of isolates belonged to phylogroup A. Sixty-four isolates could be assigned to defined pathotypes wherefrom UPEC was predominant. WGS revealed that the most predominant sequence type was ST100, followed by ST10. ST131 was detected twice in our analysis. This study highlights the importance of monitoring antimicrobial resistance and virulence properties of porcine E. coli isolates. This can be achieved by applying reliable, fast, economic and easy to perform technologies such as DNA-based microarray typing. The presence of high-risk pathogenic multi-drug resistant zoonotic clones, as well as those that are resistant to critically important antibiotics for humans, can pose a risk to public health. Improved protocols may be developed in swine farms for preventing infections, as well as the maintenance and distribution of the causative isolates.
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    Sequence Analysis of Novel Staphylococcus aureus Lineages from Wild and Captive Macaques
    (Basel : Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI), 2022) Monecke, Stefan; Roberts, Marilyn C.; Braun, Sascha D.; Diezel, Celia; Müller, Elke; Reinicke, Martin; Linde, Jörg; Joshi, Prabhu Raj; Paudel, Saroj; Acharya, Mahesh; Chalise, Mukesh K.; Feßler, Andrea T.; Hotzel, Helmut; Khanal, Laxman; Koju, Narayan P.; Schwarz, Stefan; Kyes, Randall C.; Ehricht, Ralf
    Staphylococcus aureus is a widespread and common opportunistic bacterium that can colonise or infect humans as well as a wide range of animals. There are a few studies of both methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolated from monkeys, apes, and lemurs, indicating a presence of a number of poorly or unknown lineages of the pathogen. In order to obtain insight into staphylococcal diversity, we sequenced strains from wild and captive individuals of three macaque species (Macaca mulatta, M. assamensis, and M. sylvanus) using Nanopore and Illumina technologies. These strains were previously identified by microarray as poorly or unknown strains. Isolates of novel lineages ST4168, ST7687, ST7688, ST7689, ST7690, ST7691, ST7692, ST7693, ST7694, ST7695, ST7745, ST7746, ST7747, ST7748, ST7749, ST7750, ST7751, ST7752, ST7753, and ST7754 were sequenced and characterised for the first time. In addition, isolates belonging to ST2990, a lineage also observed in humans, and ST3268, a MRSA strain already known from macaques, were also included into the study. Mobile genetic elements, genomic islands, and carriage of prophages were analysed. There was no evidence for novel host-specific virulence factors. However, a conspicuously high rate of carriage of a pathogenicity island harbouring edinB and etD2/etE as well as a higher number of repeat units within the gene sasG (encoding an adhesion factor) than in human isolates were observed. None of the strains harboured the genes encoding Panton–Valentine leukocidin. In conclusion, wildlife including macaques may harbour an unappreciated diversity of S. aureus lineages that may be of clinical relevance for humans, livestock, or for wildlife conservation, given the declining state of many wildlife populations.
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    Molecular Analysis of Two Different MRSA Clones ST188 and ST3268 From Primates (Macaca spp.) in a United States Primate Center
    (Lausanne : Frontiers Media, 2018) Roberts, Marilyn C.; Feßler, Andrea T.; Monecke, Stefan; Ehricht, Ralf; No, David; Schwarz, Stefan
    Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were identified in macaques, their environmental facility, and nasal cultures of personnel from the Washington National Primate Research Center [WaNPRC] and included MRSA ST188 SCCmec IV and MRSA ST3268 SCCmec V. The aim of the current study was to determine the carriage of virulence genes, antibiotic resistance genes, and other characteristics of the primate MRSA isolates to determine if there were any obvious differences that would account for differences in transmission within the WaNPRC facility. In total, 1,199 samples from primates were tested for the presence of MRSA resulting in 158 MRSA-positive samples. Fifteen ST188 isolates (all from Macaca nemestrina) and nine ST3268 (four from Macaca mulatta, two from Macaca fascicularis, three from M. nemestrina), were selected for further characterization. All but one of the 15 ST188 isolates had spa type t189 and the remaining one had spa type t3887. These isolates were resistant to β-lactams [blaZ, mecA], macrolides/lincosamides [erm(B)], aminoglycosides [aacA-aphD], and fluoroquinolones. Five isolates were additionally resistant to tetracyclines [tet(K)] and had elevated MICs for benzalkonium chloride [qacC]. In comparison, the nine ST3268 isolates had the related spa types t15469 (n = 5) and t13638 (n = 4). All nine ST3268 isolates were resistant to β-lactams [blaZ, mecA], and tetracyclines [tet(K)]. Some isolates were additionally resistant to aminoglycosides [aacA-aphD], fluoroquinolones and/or showed elevated MICs for benzalkonium chloride [qacC]. In contrast to the ST188 isolates, the ST3268 isolates had the enterotoxin gene cluster egc [seg, sei, selm, seln, selo, selu] and enterotoxin genes sec and sel. The two clones have differences regarding their spa types, virulence and antibiotic resistance genes as well as ST and SCCmec types. However, the data presented does not provide insight into why ST188 spreads easily while ST3268 did not spread within the WaNPRC in-house primates.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were identified in macaques, their environmental facility, and nasal cultures of personnel from the Washington National Primate Research Center [WaNPRC] and included MRSA ST188 SCCmec IV and MRSA ST3268 SCCmec V. The aim of the current study was to determine the carriage of virulence genes, antibiotic resistance genes, and other characteristics of the primate MRSA isolates to determine if there were any obvious differences that would account for differences in transmission within the WaNPRC facility. In total, 1,199 samples from primates were tested for the presence of MRSA resulting in 158 MRSA-positive samples. Fifteen ST188 isolates (all from Macaca nemestrina) and nine ST3268 (four from Macaca mulatta, two from Macaca fascicularis, three from M. nemestrina), were selected for further characterization. All but one of the 15 ST188 isolates had spa type t189 and the remaining one had spa type t3887. These isolates were resistant to β-lactams [blaZ, mecA], macrolides/lincosamides [erm(B)], aminoglycosides [aacA-aphD], and fluoroquinolones. Five isolates were additionally resistant to tetracyclines [tet(K)] and had elevated MICs for benzalkonium chloride [qacC]. In comparison, the nine ST3268 isolates had the related spa types t15469 (n = 5) and t13638 (n = 4). All nine ST3268 isolates were resistant to β-lactams [blaZ, mecA], and tetracyclines [tet(K)]. Some isolates were additionally resistant to aminoglycosides [aacA-aphD], fluoroquinolones and/or showed elevated MICs for benzalkonium chloride [qacC]. In contrast to the ST188 isolates, the ST3268 isolates had the enterotoxin gene cluster egc [seg, sei, selm, seln, selo, selu] and enterotoxin genes sec and sel. The two clones have differences regarding their spa types, virulence and antibiotic resistance genes as well as ST and SCCmec types. However, the data presented does not provide insight into why ST188 spreads easily while ST3268 did not spread within the WaNPRC in-house primates.
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    Presence of β-Lactamase-producing Enterobacterales and Salmonella Isolates in Marine Mammals
    (Basel : Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI), 2021) Grünzweil, Olivia M.; Palmer, Lauren; Cabal, Adriana; Szostak, Michael P.; Ruppitsch, Werner; Kornschober, Christian; Korus, Maciej; Misic, Dusan; Bernreiter-Hofer, Tanja; Korath, Anna D. J.; Feßler, Andrea T.; Allerberger, Franz; Schwarz, Stefan; Spergser, Joachim; Müller, Elke; Braun, Sascha D.; Monecke, Stefan; Ehricht, Ralf; Walzer, Chris; Smodlaka, Hrvoje; Loncaric, Igor
    Marine mammals have been described as sentinels of the health of marine ecosystems. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate (i) the presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)- and AmpC-producing Enterobacterales, which comprise several bacterial families important to the healthcare sector, as well as (ii) the presence of Salmonella in these coastal animals. The antimicrobial resistance pheno- and genotypes, as well as biocide susceptibility of Enterobacterales isolated from stranded marine mammals, were determined prior to their rehabilitation. All E. coli isolates (n = 27) were screened for virulence genes via DNA-based microarray, and twelve selected E. coli isolates were analyzed by whole-genome sequencing. Seventy-one percent of the Enterobacterales isolates exhibited a multidrug-resistant (MDR) pheno- and genotype. The gene blaCMY (n = 51) was the predominant β-lactamase gene. In addition, blaTEM-1 (n = 38), blaSHV-33 (n = 8), blaCTX-M-15 (n = 7), blaOXA-1 (n = 7), blaSHV-11 (n = 3), and blaDHA-1 (n = 2) were detected. The most prevalent non-β-lactamase genes were sul2 (n = 38), strA (n = 34), strB (n = 34), and tet(A) (n = 34). Escherichia coli isolates belonging to the pandemic sequence types (STs) ST38, ST167, and ST648 were identified. Among Salmonella isolates (n = 18), S. Havana was the most prevalent serotype. The present study revealed a high prevalence of MDR bacteria and the presence of pandemic high-risk clones, both of which are indicators of anthropogenic antimicrobial pollution, in marine mammals.