Short-read whole genome sequencing for determination of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and capsular serotypes of current invasive Streptococcus agalactiae recovered in the USA

Brucellosis is an important zoonosis that is emerging in some regions of the world, gaining increased relevance with the inclusion of the causing agent Brucella spp. in the class B bioterrorism group. Until now, multi-locus VNTR Analysis (MLVA) based on 16 loci has been considered as the gold standard for Brucella typing. However, this methodology is laborious, and, with the rampant release of Brucella genomes, the transition from the traditional MLVA to whole genome sequencing (WGS)-based typing is on course. Nevertheless, in order to avoid a disruptive transition with the loss of massive genetic data obtained throughout the last decade and considering that the transition timings will vary considerably among different countries, it is important to determine WGS-based MLVA alleles of the nowadays sequenced genomes. On this regard, we aimed to evaluate the performance of a Python script that had been previously developed for the rapid in silico extraction of the MLVA alleles, by comparing it to the PCR-based MLVA procedure over 83 strains from different Brucella species. The WGS-based MLVA approach detected 95.3% of all possible 1,328 hits (83 strains×16 loci) and showed an agreement rate with the PCR-based MLVA procedure of 96.4% for MLVA-16. According to our dataset, we suggest the use of a minimal depth of coverage of ~50x and a maximum number of ~200 contigs as guiding “boundaries” for the future application of the script. In conclusion, the evaluated script seems to be a very useful and robust tool for the in silico determination of MLVA profiles of Brucella strains, allowing retrospective and prospective molecular epidemiological studies, which are important for maintaining an active epidemiological surveillance of brucellosis.

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Piglet Gut and in-Barn Manure from Farms on a Raised without Antibiotics Program Display Reduced Antimicrobial Resistance but an Increased Prevalence of Pathogens

Antibiotics ◽

10.3390/antibiotics10101152 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1152

Author(s):

Samuel M. Chekabab ◽

John R. Lawrence ◽

Alvin C. Alvarado ◽

Bernardo Z. Predicala ◽

Darren R. Korber

Keyword(s):

Antimicrobial Resistance ◽

Whole Genome Sequencing ◽

Genome Sequencing ◽

Whole Genome ◽

Fecal Samples ◽

Time Points ◽

Conventional Farms ◽

Production Practices ◽

On Farm ◽

The Impact

In response to new stringent regulations in Canada regarding the use of antibiotics in animal production, many farms have implemented practices to produce animals that are raised without antibiotics (RWA) from birth to slaughter. This study aims to assess the impact of RWA production practices on reducing the actual total on-farm use of antibiotics, the occurrence of pathogens, and the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). A 28-month longitudinal surveillance of farms that adopted the RWA program and conventional farms using antibiotics in accordance with the new regulations (non-RWA) was conducted by collecting fecal samples from 6-week-old pigs and composite manure from the barn over six time points and applying whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to assess the prevalence of AMR genes as well as the abundance of pathogens. Analysis of in-barn drug use records confirmed the decreased consumption of antibiotics in RWA barns compared to non-RWA barns. WGS analyses revealed that RWA barns had reduced the frequency of AMR genes in piglet feces and in-barn manure. However, metagenomic analyses showed that RWA barns had a significant increase in the frequency of pathogenic Firmicutes in fecal samples and pathogenic Proteobacteria in barn manure samples.

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Serotype Diversity and Antimicrobial Resistance amongSalmonella entericaIsolates from Patients at an Equine Referral Hospital

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.02829-17 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 84 (13) ◽

pp. e02829-17 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

I. M. Leon ◽

S. D. Lawhon ◽

K. N. Norman ◽

D. S. Threadgill ◽

N. Ohta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antimicrobial Resistance ◽

Whole Genome Sequencing ◽

Genome Sequencing ◽

Salmonella Enterica ◽

Referral Hospital ◽

Whole Genome ◽

Content Type ◽

Genes Encoding ◽

Life Threatening ◽

Common Serotypes

ABSTRACTAlthoughSalmonella entericacan produce life-threatening colitis in horses, certain serotypes are more commonly associated with clinical disease. Our aim was to evaluate the proportional morbidity attributed to different serotypes, as well as the phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance (AMR) ofSalmonellaisolates from patients at an equine referral hospital in the southern United States. A total of 255Salmonellaisolates was obtained from clinical samples of patients admitted to the hospital between 2007 and 2015. Phenotypic resistance to 14 antibiotics surveilled by the U.S. National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System was determined using a commercially available panel. Whole-genome sequencing was used to identify serotypes and genotypic AMR. The most common serotypes wereSalmonella entericaserotype Newport (18%),Salmonella entericaserotype Anatum (15.2%), andSalmonella entericaserotype Braenderup (11.8%). Most (n= 219) of the isolates were pansusceptible, while 25 were multidrug resistant (≥3 antimicrobial classes). Genes encoding beta-lactam resistance, such asblaCMY-2,blaSHV-12,blaCTX-M-27, andblaTEM-1B, were detected. TheqnrB2 andaac(6′)-Ib-crgenes were present in isolates with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. Genes encoding resistance to gentamicin (aph(3′)-Ia,aac(6′)-IIc), streptomycin (strA andstrB), sulfonamides (sul1), trimethoprim (dfrA), phenicols (catA), tetracyclines [tet(A) andtet(E)], and macrolides [ere(A)] were also identified. The main predicted incompatibility plasmid type was I1 (10%). Core genome-based analyses revealed phylogenetic associations between isolates of common serotypes. The presence of AMRSalmonellain equine patients increases the risk of unsuccessful treatment and causes concern for potential zoonotic transmission to attending veterinary personnel, animal caretakers, and horse owners. Understanding the epidemiology ofSalmonellain horses admitted to referral hospitals is important for the prevention, control, and treatment of salmonellosis.IMPORTANCEIn horses, salmonellosis is a leading cause of life-threatening colitis. At veterinary teaching hospitals, nosocomial outbreaks can increase the risk of zoonotic transmission, lead to restrictions on admissions, impact hospital reputation, and interrupt educational activities. The antimicrobials most often used in horses are included in the 5th revision of the World Health Organization's list of critically important antimicrobials for human medicine. Recent studies have demonstrated a trend of increasing bacterial resistance to drugs commonly used to treatSalmonellainfections. In this study, we identify temporal trends in the distribution ofSalmonellaserotypes and their mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance; furthermore, we are able to determine the likely origin of several temporal clusters of infection by using whole-genome sequencing. These data can be used to focus strategies to better contain the dissemination and enhance the mitigation ofSalmonellainfections and to provide evidence-based policies and guidelines to steward antimicrobial use in veterinary medicine.

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