Antimicrobial susceptibility and molecular characterization of Salmonella enterica serovar Indiana from foods, patients, and environments in China during 2007–2016

Dynamic antimicrobial resistance and phylogenomic structure of Salmonella Typhimurium from 2007 to 2019 in Shanghai, China

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is an important foodborne pathogen associated with human salmonellosis worldwide. A retrospective screening was performed to elucidate the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance, and phylogenomic characterization of this pathogen in Shanghai, China. S. Typhimurium isolates were selected from 2,211 serotyped Salmonella isolates collected during 2007-2019. Two hundred and seventy-seven S. Typhimurium isolates were detected in 15 of 16 districts in Shanghai. It was noted that 214 (77.3%) isolates were multi-drug resistant and 32 (11.6%) isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin and 5 (1.8%) isolates were further resistant to ceftriaxone. Poisson generalized linear mixed model results showed that the multi-drug resistance (MDR) in 2017 and 2018 was significantly higher than that in 2010 (P＜0.05), highlighting an increase in the risk of MDR. Phylogenetic results showed that a global data set of 401 sequenced S. Typhimurium isolates was classified into four clones (ST36, ST313, ST19, and ST34), which appeared in international clonal dissemination. The ST34 isolates from China fell into two clades, ST34C1 and ST34C2, the latter of which might originate from Shanghai, and then expanded nationally, accompanied by extended-spectrum β-lactamase gene blaCTX-M-14 and a mutation in quinolone resistance-determining region of the gyrA 87 site. Furthermore, blaCTX-M-14 linking to ISEcp1 upstream and ΔIS903B downstream was found in IncI (Gamma)-like plasmids, and the plasmid conjugation contributed to its horizontal transmission. To our knowledge, it is the first report of the epidemiological and phylogenetic characterization for S. Typhimurium including the emerged clade ST34C2 in Shanghai, warranting the necessity of surveillance for this high-risk pathogen.

IMPORTANCE

Our study uncovered a widespread distribution of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates in Shanghai accompanied by the increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) especially MDR during a 10-year period, which filled in the gap about a long period of continuous monitoring of AMR in this pathogen in Shanghai. Meanwhile, we identified a new clade ST34C2 of S. Typhimurium with the acquisition of IncI (Gamma)-like plasmids mediated by extended-spectrum β-lactamase gene blaCTX-M-14 as well as gyrA 87 mutation, which had not been reported before. It was noted that IncI (Gamma)-like plasmids were reported in S. Typhimurium for the first time and conjugation could accelerate the spread of antimicrobial resistance gene blaCTX-M-14. These findings on the epidemic, antimicrobial resistance, and phylogenomic characterization for S. Typhimurium provide valuable insights into its potential risk to public health and also the basis for AMR prevention and control strategies in Shanghai in the future.

Prevalence, antibiotic resistance, virulence genes and molecular characteristics of Salmonella isolated from ducks and wild geese in China

Salmonella is a major foodborne pathogen and the cause of significant morbidity and mortality via consumption of contaminated meat and meat-products. The prevalence of Salmonella in ducks and wild geese in China are poorly characterized and these sources represent a potential pool that could be transferred to farm-reared fowl. In this study, we isolated 335 (18.3%) Salmonella from 1830 samples and identified 24 serotypes and most prevalent were Salmonella Indiana, Salmonella Kentucky and Salmonella Typhimurium. Whole genome sequencing revealed the presence of the dominant sequence types ST17, ST198 and ST19 for these three serotypes, respectively. In addition, these isolates were most likely clonally spread across different regions while S. Kentucky also crossed the species barrier. The majority of the Salmonella isolates possessed β-lactam and fluoroquinolone resistance and these were consistent with antibiotic resistance gene profiles. We also identified 8 plasmid replicon types and all isolates possessed virulence genes and the numbers were greatest for S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium isolates. This study provides novel insights concerning the epidemiology of Salmonella in ducks and wild geese and provides basic data for public health screening and management.

Genomic characterization of Salmonella isolated from retail chicken and humans with diarrhea in Qingdao, China

Salmonella, especially antimicrobial resistant strains, remains one of the leading causes of foodborne bacterial disease. Retail chicken is a major source of human salmonellosis. Here, we investigated the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and genomic characteristics of Salmonella in 88 out of 360 (24.4%) chilled chicken carcasses, together with 86 Salmonella from humans with diarrhea in Qingdao, China in 2020. The most common serotypes were Enteritidis and Typhimurium (including the serotype I 4,[5],12:i:-) among Salmonella from both chicken and humans. The sequence types were consistent with serotypes, with ST11, ST34 and ST19 the most dominantly identified. Resistance to nalidixic acid, ampicillin, tetracycline and chloramphenicol were the top four detected in Salmonella from both chicken and human sources. High multi-drug resistance (MDR) and resistance to third-generation cephalosporins resistance were found in Salmonella from chicken (53.4%) and humans (75.6%). In total, 149 of 174 (85.6%) Salmonella isolates could be categorized into 60 known SNP clusters, with 8 SNP clusters detected in both sources. Furthermore, high prevalence of plasmid replicons and prophages were observed among the studied isolates. A total of 79 antimicrobial resistant genes (ARGs) were found, with aac(6')-Iaa, blaTEM-1B, tet(A), aph(6)-Id, aph(3″)-Ib, sul2, floR and qnrS1 being the dominant ARGs. Moreover, nine CTX-M-type ESBL genes and the genes blaNMD-1, mcr-1.1, and mcr-9.1 were detected. The high incidence of MDR Salmonella, especially possessing lots of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in this study posed a severe risk to food safety and public health, highlighting the importance of improving food hygiene measures to reduce the contamination and transmission of this bacterium. Overall, it is essential to continue monitoring the Salmonella serotypes, implement the necessary prevention and strategic control plans, and conduct an epidemiological surveillance system based on whole-genome sequencing.

Phylogenomic analysis of Salmonella Indiana ST17, an emerging MDR clonal group in China

OBJECTIVES

To reconstruct the genomic epidemiology and evolution of MDR Salmonella Indiana in China.

METHODS

A total of 108 Salmonella Indiana strains were collected from humans and livestock in China. All isolates were subjected to WGS and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary analyses were conducted using WGS data from this study and the NCBI database.

RESULTS

Almost all 108 Salmonella Indiana strains displayed the MDR phenotype. Importantly, 84 isolates possessed concurrent resistance to ciprofloxacin and cefotaxime. WGS analysis revealed that class 1 integrons on the chromosome and IncHI2 plasmids were the key vectors responsible for multiple antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) [including ESBL and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes] transmission among Salmonella Indiana. The 108 Salmonella Indiana dataset displayed a relatively large core genome and ST17 was the predominant ST. Moreover, the global ST17 Salmonella Indiana strains could be divided into five distinct lineages, each of which was significantly associated with a geographical distribution. Genomic analysis revealed multiple antimicrobial resistance determinants and QRDR mutations in Chinese lineages, which almost did not occur in other global lineages. Using molecular clock analysis, we hypothesized that ST17 isolates have existed since 1956 and underwent a major population expansion from the 1980s to the 2000s and the genetic diversity started to decrease around 2011, probably due to geographical barriers, antimicrobial selective pressure and MDR, favouring the establishment of this prevalent multiple antibiotic-resistant lineage and local epidemics.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed that adaptation to antimicrobial pressure was possibly pivotal in the recent evolutionary trajectory for the clonal spread of ST17 Salmonella Indiana in China.

Phylogenomic Analysis of Salmonella enterica Serovar Indiana ST17, an Emerging Multidrug-Resistant Clone in China

Salmonella enterica serovar Indiana (S. Indiana) is an extremely expanded foodborne pathogen in China in recent years. This study aimed to elucidate the national prevalence and phylogenomic characterization of this pathogen in China. Among 5, 287 serotyped Salmonella isolates collected during 2002 to 2018, 466 S. Indiana isolates were found in 15 provinces, and 407 were identified to be ST17, and the rest were ST2040. Among 407 ST17 isolates, 372 (91.4%) were multidrug resistant, and 366 (89.9%) were resistant to ciprofloxacin, 235 (57.7%) were further resistant to ceftriaxone. Phylogenomic analysis revealed that ST17 isolates were classified into four clades (I, II, III and IV), which appeared in international clonal dissemination. ST17 isolates from China fell into Clade IV with part of isolates from the United Kingdom, the United States, South Korea, and Thailand, suggesting their close genetic relationship. Mutations in quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDR) of GyrA and ParC, and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes aac(6′)-Ib-cr, oqxAB, and qnrS as well as extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) genes bla_CTX-M, bla_OXA, and bla_TEM in isolates from Clade IV were much higher than those from other three clades. Various bla_CTX-M subtypes (bla_CTX-M-65, bla_CTX-M-55, bla_CTX-M-27, bla_CTX-M-14, and bla_CTX-M-123) with ISEcp1, IS903B, ISVsa5, and IS1R were found in ST17 isolates, especially Tn1721 containing ΔISEcp1-bla_CTX-M-27-IS903B in P1-like bacteriophage plasmids. These findings on the prevalent and genomic characterization for the S. Indiana multidrug-resistant ST17 clone in China, which have not been reported yet, provide valuable insights into the potential risk of this high-resistant clone.

IMPORTANCE Fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins are the primary choices for severe salmonellosis treatment. S. Indiana has become one of the most prevalent serovars in breeding poultry and poultry meats in China in recent years. ST17 was recognized as the leading epidemiological importance in S. Indiana because of its high-level resistance to the most of common antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone. However, the prevalence and phylogenomic characterization of ST17 isolates are unclear. Here, we did a retrospective screening on a large scale for S. Indiana in China, and performed its phylogenomic analysis. It was found that ST17 isolates had extensive spread in 15 provinces of China and became a multidrug-resistant clone. The international spread of the ST17 isolates was observed among several countries, especially China, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Our study emphasized the importance of surveillance of a high-resistant S. Indiana ST17 clone to combat its threat to public health.