-
Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2023The genus comprises a group of bacteria widely distributed in different habitats that can be spread throughout the food chain. Fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides...
The genus comprises a group of bacteria widely distributed in different habitats that can be spread throughout the food chain. Fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides represent the most common antimicrobial agents used for the treatment of infections. However, the increasing trend of the antimicrobial resistance of this pathogen leads to treatment failures. Moreover, the test implementation and interpretation are hindered by the lack of reference protocols and standard interpretive criteria. The purpose of our study was to assess the antibiotic resistance pattern of 17 strains isolated in Central Italy from fresh vegetables, sushi, chicken breast, and clinical human samples to provide new and updated information about the antimicrobial resistance epidemiology of this species. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out by the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST)'s disc diffusion method. All the strains were multidrug resistant, with 100% resistance to tetracyclines and cefotaxime (third generation cephalosporins). Some differences were noticed among the strains, according to the isolation source (clinical isolates, food of animal origin, or fresh vegetables), with a higher sensitivity to streptomycin detected only in the strains isolated from fresh vegetables. Our data, together with other epidemiological information at the national or European Union (EU) level, may contribute to developing homogeneous breakpoints. However, the high prevalence of resistance to a wide range of antimicrobial classes makes this microorganism a threat to human health and suggests that its monitoring should be considered by authorities designated for food safety.
PubMed: 37627712
DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12081292 -
Microbial Pathogenesis Jun 2024Arcobacter butzleri is a foodborne pathogen that mainly causes enteritis in humans, but the number of cases of bacteraemia has increased in recent years. However, there...
Arcobacter butzleri is a foodborne pathogen that mainly causes enteritis in humans, but the number of cases of bacteraemia has increased in recent years. However, there is still limited knowledge on the pathogenic mechanisms of this bacterium. To investigate how A. butzleri causes disease, single knockout mutants were constructed in the cadF, ABU_RS00335, ciaB, and flaAB genes, which might be involved in adhesion and invasion properties. These mutants and the isogenic wild-type (WT) were then tested for their ability to adhere and invade human Caco-2 and HT29-MTX cells. The adhesion and invasion of A. butzleri RM4018 strain was also visualized by a Leica CTR 6500 confocal microscope. The adhesion and invasion abilities of mutants lacking the invasion antigen CiaB or a functional flagellum were lower than those of the WTs. However, the extent of the decrease varied depending on the strain and/or cell line. Mutants lacking the fibronectin (FN)-binding protein CadF consistently exhibited reduced abilities, while the inactivation of the other studied FN-binding protein, ABU_RS00335, led to a reduction in only one of the two strains tested. Therefore, the ciaB and flaAB genes appear to be important for A. butzleri adhesion and invasion properties, while cadF appears to be indispensable.
PubMed: 38880315
DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2024.106752 -
Archives of Microbiology Nov 2023The surge in human arcobacteriosis has increased interest in determining the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of Arcobacter butzleri. Here, genomic analyses and...
The surge in human arcobacteriosis has increased interest in determining the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of Arcobacter butzleri. Here, genomic analyses and in vitro Caco-2 infection, motility, urease and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) assays were used to characterise the virulence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants of strains HC-1, isolated from a patient with travellers' diarrhoea, and HC-2, isolated from another with pruritus. AMR determinants conferring resistance to tetracycline (tetO, present in both genomes) and to ampicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (bla3, present in HC-2) were identified. The same determinants associated with flagellum, chemotaxis, adhesion and invasion were detected in both, but HC-1 lacked eight flagellar genes. The urease cluster was only present in HC-1. Motility and urease tests confirmed the genetic differences between strains, but no genetic marker related to the inability of HC-2 to adhere and invade was identified. This inability could be conditioning the patient's pathology.
Topics: Humans; Virulence; Arcobacter; Caco-2 Cells; Urease; Genotype; Phenotype; Anti-Bacterial Agents
PubMed: 37923944
DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03709-3 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2023was recognized as an emerging enteropathogen and controversies regarding its classification persisted. This study aimed to reevaluate the taxonomy of utilizing the 16S...
was recognized as an emerging enteropathogen and controversies regarding its classification persisted. This study aimed to reevaluate the taxonomy of utilizing the 16S rRNA gene, 23S rRNA gene, single-copy orthologous genes, as well as genomic indices such as Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) and DNA-DNA hybridization (). The taxonomy of this genus was reevaluated in this study using multiple indices with a dataset of 371 genomes comprising 34 known species and 14 potentially new species. Good discrimination could be achieved only in some species but not for the species with higher sequence similarity using the comparisons of the 16S rRNA gene and 23S rRNA gene sequences. A high-accuracy phylogenomic approach for was established using 84 single-copy orthologous genes obtained through various bioinformatics methods. One marker gene (gene711), which was found to possess the same distinguishing ability as ANI, and single-copy orthologous methods, was identified as a reliable locus for inferring the phylogeny of the genus. The effective species classification was achieved by employing gene711 with a sequence similarity exceeding 96%, even for species like , , and , which exhibited ambiguous classification using ANI and . Additionally, excellent subspecies categorizing among could be distinguished using gene711. In conclusion, this framework strategy had the potential advantage of developing rapid species identification, particularly for highly variable species, providing a novel insight into the behavior and characteristics of .
PubMed: 37881248
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1278268 -
Journal of Advanced Veterinary and... Jun 2023, , , and are significant foodborne pathogens regarding the consumption of raw poultry meat. An existing survey was conducted to assess the occurrence of , , , and in...
OBJECTIVE
, , , and are significant foodborne pathogens regarding the consumption of raw poultry meat. An existing survey was conducted to assess the occurrence of , , , and in raw poultry meat samples.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Ninety-four raw ostrich, turkey, chicken, and quail meat samples were collected and subjected to culture-based analysis. , , , and isolates were confirmed by standard biochemical techniques.
RESULTS
The occurrence of , , , and in poultry meat samples was 11.45%, 17.70%, 1.04%, and 16.66%, respectively. was absent in chicken, turkey, and ostrich meat samples. Only one quail meat (4.16%) was positive for . The uppermost contamination rate with , , and was found in chicken (25%), turkey (25%), and turkey (25%) meat samples, respectively. The concurrent occurrence of + + bacteria amid the examined poultry meat samples was 2.08%.
CONCLUSION
This is an initial report of , , and in poultry meat samples. Adequate cooking of poultry meat can diminish foodborne diseases due to , , , and bacteria, and these species may constitute a public health problem.
PubMed: 37534081
DOI: 10.5455/javar.2023.j670 -
BMC Microbiology Jan 2024Water is considered a source for the transmission of Arcobacter species to both humans and animals. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence, distribution, and...
BACKGROUND
Water is considered a source for the transmission of Arcobacter species to both humans and animals. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence, distribution, and pathogenicity of A. butzleri strains, which can potentially pose health risks to humans and animals. Cultures were isolated from surface waters of a mixed-use but predominately agricultural watershed in eastern Ontario, Canada. The detection of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and virulence-associated genes (VAGs), as well as enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR) assays were performed on 913 A. butzleri strains isolated from 11 agricultural sampling sites.
RESULTS
All strains were resistant to one or more antimicrobial agents, with a high rate of resistance to clindamycin (99%) and chloramphenicol (77%), followed by azithromycin (48%) and nalidixic acid (49%). However, isolates showed a significantly (p < 0.05) high rate of susceptibility to tetracycline (1%), gentamycin (2%), ciprofloxacin (4%), and erythromycin (5%). Of the eight VAGs tested, ciaB, mviN, tlyA, and pldA were detected at high frequency (> 85%) compared to irgA (25%), hecB (19%), hecA (15%), and cj1349 (12%) genes. Co-occurrence analysis showed A. butzleri strains resistant to clindamycin, chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid, and azithromycin were positive for ciaB, tlyA, mviN and pldA VAGs. ERIC-PCR fingerprint analysis revealed high genetic similarity among strains isolated from three sites, and the genotypes were significantly associated with AMR and VAGs results, which highlight their potential environmental ubiquity and potential as pathogenic.
CONCLUSIONS
The study results show that agricultural activities likely contribute to the contamination of A. butzleri in surface water. The findings underscore the importance of farm management practices in controlling the potential spread of A. butzleri and its associated health risks to humans and animals through contaminated water.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Arcobacter; Canada; Azithromycin; Clindamycin; Virulence; Nalidixic Acid; Chloramphenicol; Enterobacteriaceae
PubMed: 38191309
DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-03119-x -
Nature Food Aug 2023China is the largest global consumer of antimicrobials and improving surveillance methods could help to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR) spread. Here we report the...
China is the largest global consumer of antimicrobials and improving surveillance methods could help to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR) spread. Here we report the surveillance of ten large-scale chicken farms and four connected abattoirs in three Chinese provinces over 2.5 years. Using a data mining approach based on machine learning, we analysed 461 microbiomes from birds, carcasses and environments, identifying 145 potentially mobile antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) shared between chickens and environments across all farms. A core set of 233 ARGs and 186 microbial species extracted from the chicken gut microbiome correlated with the AMR profiles of Escherichia coli colonizing the same gut, including Arcobacter, Acinetobacter and Sphingobacterium, clinically relevant for humans, and 38 clinically relevant ARGs. Temperature and humidity in the barns were also correlated with ARG presence. We reveal an intricate network of correlations between environments, microbial communities and AMR, suggesting multiple routes to improving AMR surveillance in livestock production.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Chickens; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Farms; Metagenomics; Abattoirs; Escherichia coli; Machine Learning
PubMed: 37563495
DOI: 10.1038/s43016-023-00814-w -
Gut Pathogens Dec 2023Arcobacter species are considered emerging foodborne pathogens that can potentially cause serious infections in animals and humans. This cross-sectional study determined...
Antibiotic-Resistant Arcobacter spp. in commercial and smallholder farm animals in Asante Akim North Municipality, Ghana and Korogwe Town Council, Tanzania: a cross-sectional study.
BACKGROUND
Arcobacter species are considered emerging foodborne pathogens that can potentially cause serious infections in animals and humans. This cross-sectional study determined the frequency of potentially pathogenic Arcobacter spp. in both commercial and smallholder farm animals in Ghana and Tanzania. A total of 1585 and 1047 (poultry and livestock) samples were collected in Ghana and Tanzania, respectively. Selective enrichment media, along with oxidase and Gram testing, were employed for isolation of suspected Arcobacter spp. and confirmation was done using MALDI-TOF MS. Antibiotic susceptibility was assessed through disk diffusion method and ECOFFs were generated, for interpretation, based on resulting inhibition zone diameters.
RESULTS
The overall Arcobacter frequency was higher in Ghana (7.0%, n = 111) than in Tanzania (2.0%, n = 21). The frequency of Arcobacter in commercial farms in Ghana was 10.3% (n/N = 83/805), while in Tanzania, it was 2.8% (n/N = 12/430). Arcobacter was detected in only 3.6% (n/N = 28/780) of the samples from smallholder farms in Ghana and 1.5% (n/N = 9/617) of the samples from Tanzania. For commercial farms, in Ghana, the presence of Arcobacter was more abundant in pigs (45.1%, n/N = 37/82), followed by ducks (38.5%, n/N = 10/26) and quails (35.7%, n/N = 10/28). According to MALDI-TOF-based species identification, Arcobacter butzleri (91.6%, n/N = 121/132), Arcobacter lanthieri (6.1%, n/N = 8/132), and Arcobacter cryaerophilus (2.3%, n/N = 3/132) were the only three Arcobacter species detected at both study sites. Almost all of the Arcobacter from Ghana (98.2%, n/N = 109/111) were isolated during the rainy season. The inhibition zone diameters recorded for penicillin, ampicillin, and chloramphenicol allowed no determination of an epidemiological cut-off value. However, the results indicated a general resistance to these three antimicrobials. Multidrug resistance was noted in 57.1% (n/N = 12/21) of the Arcobacter isolates from Tanzania and 45.0% (n/N = 50/111) of those from Ghana. The type of farm (commercial or smallholder) and source of the sample (poultry or livestock) were found to be associated with multi-drug resistance.
CONCLUSIONS
The high levels of MDR Arcobacter detected from farms in both countries call for urgent attention and comprehensive strategies to mitigate the spread of antimicrobial resistance in these pathogens.
PubMed: 38042805
DOI: 10.1186/s13099-023-00588-3 -
PloS One 2023Water quality parameters influence the abundance of pathogenic bacteria. The genera Aeromonas, Arcobacter, Klebsiella, and Mycobacterium are among the representative...
Quantitative detection and reduction of potentially pathogenic bacterial groups of Aeromonas, Arcobacter, Klebsiella pneumoniae species complex, and Mycobacterium in wastewater treatment facilities.
Water quality parameters influence the abundance of pathogenic bacteria. The genera Aeromonas, Arcobacter, Klebsiella, and Mycobacterium are among the representative pathogenic bacteria identified in wastewater. However, information on the correlations between water quality and the abundance of these bacteria, as well as their reduction rate in existing wastewater treatment facilities (WTFs), is lacking. Hence, this study aimed to determine the abundance and reduction rates of these bacterial groups in WTFs. Sixty-eight samples (34 influent and 34 non-disinfected, treated, effluent samples) were collected from nine WTFs in Japan and Thailand. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing analysis revealed the presence of Aeromonas, Arcobacter, and Mycobacterium in all influent wastewater and treated effluent samples. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to quantify the abundance of Aeromonas, Arcobacter, Klebsiella pneumoniae species complex (KpSC), and Mycobacterium. The geometric mean abundances of Aeromonas, Arcobacter, KpSC, and Mycobacterium in the influent wastewater were 1.2 × 104-2.4 × 105, 1.0 × 105-4.5 × 106, 3.6 × 102-4.3 × 104, and 6.9 × 103-5.5 × 104 cells mL-1, respectively, and their average log reduction values were 0.77-2.57, 1.00-3.06, 1.35-3.11, and -0.67-1.57, respectively. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients indicated significant positive or negative correlations between the abundances of the potentially pathogenic bacterial groups and Escherichia coli as well as water quality parameters, namely, chemical/biochemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, nitrite-nitrogen, ammonium-nitrogen, suspended solids, volatile suspended solids, and oxidation-reduction potential. This study provides valuable information on the development and appropriate management of WTFs to produce safe, hygienic water.
Topics: Wastewater; Arcobacter; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Klebsiella; Aeromonas; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Escherichia coli; Water Purification; Mycobacterium
PubMed: 37768925
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291742 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2024Bivalves can concentrate biological and chemical pollutants, causing foodborne outbreaks whose occurrence is increasing, due to climatic and anthropic factors that are...
Bivalves can concentrate biological and chemical pollutants, causing foodborne outbreaks whose occurrence is increasing, due to climatic and anthropic factors that are difficult to reverse, hence the need for improved surveillance. This study aimed to evaluate the hygienic qualities of bivalves sampled along the production and distribution chain in Sicily and collect useful data for consumer safety. Bacteriological and molecular analyses were performed on 254 samples of bivalves for the detection of enteropathogenic , spp., spp., spp., and beta-glucuronidase-positive . A total of 96 out of 254 samples, collected in the production areas, were processed for algal biotoxins and heavy metals detection. Bacterial and algal contaminations were also assessed for 21 samples of water from aquaculture implants. spp., spp., , spp., and were detected in 106/254, 79/254, 12/254, 16/254, and 95/254 molluscs, respectively. A total of 10/96 bivalves tested positive for algal biotoxins, and metals were under the legal limit. , and were detected in 5, 3, and 3 water samples, respectively. , , and spp. were detected in water samples collected with the biotoxin-containing molluscs. Traces of yessotoxins were detected in molluscs from water samples containing the corresponding producing algae. Despite the strict regulation by the European Commission over shellfish supply chain monitoring, our analyses highlighted the need for efficiency improvement.
PubMed: 38397529
DOI: 10.3390/foods13040552