Prevalence of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria from U.S.-Grown and Imported Fresh Produce Retailed in Chain Supermarkets and Ethnic Stores of Davidson County, Tennessee

2017 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 506-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siqin Liu ◽  
Agnes Kilonzo-Nthenge

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to determine whether U.S.-grown and imported fresh produce retailed in ethnic stores and chain supermarkets was a reservoir of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. A total of 360 (129 imported and 231 U.S.-grown) samples of fresh produce were purchased from retail stores and analyzed for Enterobacteriaceae, including three pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli O157:H7, Shigella, and Salmonella), using standard methods. Presumptive pathogenic isolates were confirmed using PCR. The mean Enterobacteriaceae counts for imported produce were 6.87 ± 0.15 log CFU/g and 7.16 ± 0.11 log CFU/g in ethnic stores and chain supermarkets, respectively. For U.S.-grown produce, the contamination levels were at 8.35 ± 0.17 log CFU/g and 7.52 ± 0.13 log CFU/g in ethnic stores and chain supermarkets, respectively. Salmonella (0 and 0.3%), Shigella (1.7 and 0.6%), E. coli (3.1 and 1.4%), Enterobacter (9.4 and 8.6%), Klebsiella (6.7 and 0.6%), and Serratia (5.8 and 1.4%) were detected in produce from ethnic stores and chain supermarkets, respectively. None of the samples were positive for E. coli O157:H7. Regarding distribution by produce type, leafy vegetables had a significantly (P < 0.05) higher prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae (19.2%) than the other types, followed by root vegetables (6.4%), tomatoes (5.6%), and fruits (3.9%). Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, and Erwinia bacteria were also isolated from fresh produce. The frequencies of vancomycin resistance (98.1 and 100%) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the frequencies of ampicillin resistance (42.3 and 72.9%) for imported and U.S.-grown produce, respectively. Despite the increased attention to the role of imported produce as a source of antimicrobial resistance, this study indicates that U.S.-grown produce is also contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Good agricultural practices on the farms and washing of fresh produce before consumption are greatly recommended to avoid possible public health hazards.

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 466
Author(s):  
Herbert Galler ◽  
Josefa Luxner ◽  
Christian Petternel ◽  
Franz F. Reinthaler ◽  
Juliana Habib ◽  
...  

In recent years, antibiotic-resistant bacteria with an impact on human health, such as extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-containing Enterobacteriaceae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), have become more common in food. This is due to the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry, which leads to the promotion of antibiotic resistance and thus also makes food a source of such resistant bacteria. Most studies dealing with this issue usually focus on the animals or processed food products to examine the antibiotic resistant bacteria. This study investigated the intestine as another main habitat besides the skin for multiresistant bacteria. For this purpose, faeces samples were taken directly from the intestines of swine (n = 71) and broiler (n = 100) during the slaughter process and analysed. All samples were from animals fed in Austria and slaughtered in Austrian slaughterhouses for food production. The samples were examined for the presence of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae, MRSA, MRCoNS and VRE. The resistance genes of the isolated bacteria were detected and sequenced by PCR. Phenotypic ESBL-producing Escherichia coli could be isolated in 10% of broiler casings (10 out of 100) and 43.6% of swine casings (31 out of 71). In line with previous studies, the results of this study showed that CTX-M-1 was the dominant ESBL produced by E. coli from swine (n = 25, 83.3%) and SHV-12 from broilers (n = 13, 81.3%). Overall, the frequency of positive samples with multidrug-resistant bacteria was lower than in most comparable studies focusing on meat products.


Author(s):  
Karolina Jeżak ◽  
Anna Kozajda

AbstractIntensive animal farming emits to the environment very high concentrations of bioaerosol, mainly composed of microorganisms, including antibiotics resistant strains, and their derivatives. Poland is a significant producer of poultry and swine in Europe; Ukraine is located in the immediate vicinity of Poland and the EU. Thus, the review focuses on the presence of potentially pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant zoonotic bacteria and antimicrobial genes in the environment of farms and food of animal origin in Poland and Ukraine. Existing data confirms presence of these bacteria in the food animal origin chain environment in both countries. However, it is difficult to compare the scale of multidrug-resistant bacteria (e.g. MRSA, ESBL) dissemination in Poland and Ukraine with other EU countries due to lack of more extensive studies and large-scale monitoring in these two countries. A series of studies concerning resistance of pathogenic bacteria isolated from livestock environment have been published in Poland but usually on single farms with a very limited number of samples, and without a genotypic drug resistance marking. From Ukraine are available only few reports, but also disturbing. The risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria transmission does not only concern animal farming, but also other facilities of animal origin food supply chains, especially slaughterhouses.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Moussa ◽  
Edmond Abboud ◽  
Sima Tokajian

AbstractThe prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in surface water in Lebanon is a growing concern and understanding the mechanisms of the spread of resistance determinants is essential. We aimed at studying the occurrence of resistant organisms and determinants in surface water sources in Lebanon and understanding their mobilization and transmission. Water samples were collected from five major rivers in Lebanon. 91 isolates were recovered out of which 25 were multidrug-resistant (MDR) and accordingly were further characterized. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the most commonly identified MDR isolates. Conjugation assays coupled with in silico plasmid analysis were performed and validated using PCR-based replicon typing (PBRT) to identify and confirm incompatibility groups and the localization of β-lactamase encoding genes. E. coli EC23 carried a blaNDM-5 gene on a conjugative, multireplicon plasmid, while blaCTX-M-15 and blaTEM-1B were detected in the majority of the MDR isolates. Different ST types were identified including the highly virulent E. coli ST131. Our results showed a common occurrence of bacterial contaminants in surface water and an increase in the risk for the dissemination of resistance determinants exacerbated with the ongoing intensified population mobility in Lebanon and the widespread lack of wastewater treatment.


Author(s):  
Lingli Li ◽  
Ming Yu ◽  
Chao Yang ◽  
Chunping Deng ◽  
Lili Ma ◽  
...  

Abstract Bacteriophage has attracted growing interest as a promising therapeutic agent for pathogenic bacteria, especially for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, the various abiotic conditions could impact the stability of phages and further threat host-virus interactions. Here, we investigated the stability and lytic activity of virulent polyvalent coliphage (named PE1) by double-layer plaque assay. PE1 can efficiently infect both the drug-sensitive Escherichia coli K12 and multidrug-resistant E. coli NDM-1 even after prolonged storage at 4 °C up to two months. Results showed that PE1 exhibits an outstanding stability to infect E. coli strains under a wide range of thermal (4 °C–60 °C) and pH (4–11) conditions, which covers the thermal and pH variations of most wastewater treatment plants. Moreover, PE1 exhibited high resistibility to heavy metals exposure including Cu2+, Cd2+, Co2+, and Cr3+ at the concentrations below 0.5 mM, and an excellent resistant ability to the variation of ionic strength, which still retained strong infectious ability even treated with saturated sodium chloride solution (350 g/L). This work shows that polyvalent phage PE1 has a strong adaptive capacity to various abiotic factors and should be a good candidate of being an antibacterial agent, especially for antibiotic-resistant bacteria control in sewage.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 359-370
Author(s):  
Zahra S. Al-Kharousi ◽  
Nejib Guizani ◽  
Abdullah M. Al-Sadi ◽  
Ismail M. Al-Bulushi

The contamination of fresh produce with antibiotic-resistant bacteria is of particular concern as they are often eaten raw and can be a source for foodborne diseases. Tetracyclines have been largely used in humans, animals and plants which might have accelerated microbial resistance to them. Enterococci and Escherichia coli can be used as indicators to monitor contamination of the fresh produce with tetracycline-resistant bacteria. The investigation related to this issue is very scarce in Oman. This study aimed at identifying tetracycline-resistant enterococci and E. coli in fresh produce at the market place. Thirty-one enterococci and ten E. coli were isolated from local (Oman) and imported fruits and vegetables (N= 105). Using the standard Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method, resistance to tetracycline was found in 6 (19 %) enterococci, isolated from cucumber, lettuce and radish, and 5 (50 %) E. coli, obtained from cabbage, lettuce and radish. Genetic analysis revealed the presence of tetracycline resistance genes, tet(A) and tet(K), in E. coli and tet(K), tet(L) and tet(M) in enterococci, including Enterococcus sulfureus, Enterococcus mundtii, Enterococcus casseli avus and Enterococcus faecalis. The integron integrase IntI 1 gene, which is known to facilitate the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria, was detected in 2 isolates of E. coli. These results demonstrated the capability of fresh produce to act as a potential source for disseminating tetracycline or possibly other antibiotic-resistant bacteria through the food chain. Thus, control strategies are needed to reduce exposure of the public to such microorganisms.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 571
Author(s):  
Nicole Zacharias ◽  
Iris Löckener ◽  
Sarah M. Essert ◽  
Esther Sib ◽  
Gabriele Bierbaum ◽  
...  

Bacterial infections have been treated effectively by antibiotics since the discovery of penicillin in 1928. A worldwide increase in the use of antibiotics led to the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains in almost all bacterial pathogens, which complicates the treatment of infectious diseases. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria play an important role in increasing the risk associated with the usage of surface waters (e.g., irrigation, recreation) and the spread of the resistance genes. Many studies show that important pathogenic antibiotic-resistant bacteria can enter the environment by the discharge of sewage treatment plants and combined sewage overflow events. Mussels have successfully been used as bio-indicators of heavy metals, chemicals and parasites; they may also be efficient bio-indicators for viruses and bacteria. In this study an influence of the discharge of a sewage treatment plant could be shown in regard to the presence of E. coli in higher concentrations in the mussels downstream the treatment plant. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, resistant against one or two classes of antibiotics and relevance for human health could be detected in the mussels at different sampling sites of the river Rhine. No multidrug-resistant bacteria could be isolated from the mussels, although they were found in samples of the surrounding water body.


Author(s):  
Maria Clara V. M. Starling ◽  
Elizângela P. Costa ◽  
Felipe A. Souza ◽  
Elayne C. Machado ◽  
Juliana Calábria de Araujo ◽  
...  

AbstractThis work investigated an innovative alternative to improve municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent (MWWTP effluent) quality aiming at the removal of contaminants of emerging concern (caffeine, carbendazim, and losartan potassium), and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), as well as disinfection (E. coli). Persulfate was used as an alternative oxidant in the solar photo-Fenton process (solar/Fe/S2O82−) due to its greater stability in the presence of matrix components. The efficiency of solar/Fe/S2O82− at neutral pH using intermittent iron additions is unprecedented in the literature. At first, solar/Fe/S2O82− was performed in a solar simulator (30 W m−2) leading to more than 60% removal of CECs, and the intermittent iron addition strategy was proved effective. Then, solar/Fe/S2O82− and solar/Fe/H2O2 were compared in semi-pilot scale in a raceway pond reactor (RPR) and a cost analysis was performed. Solar/Fe/S2O82− showed higher efficiencies of removal of target CECs (55%), E. coli (3 log units), and ARB (3 to 4 log units) within 1.9 kJ L−1 of accumulated irradiation compared to solar/Fe/H2O2 (CECs, 49%; E. coli, 2 log units; ARB, 1 to 3 log units in 2.5 kJ L−1). None of the treatments generated acute toxicity upon Allivibrio fischeri. Lower total cost was obtained using S2O82− (0.6 € m−3) compared to H2O2 (1.2 € m−3). Therefore, the iron intermittent addition aligned to the use of persulfate is suitable for MWWTP effluent quality improvement at neutral pH.


2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 865-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayman El-Shibiny ◽  
Salma El-Sahhar

Since their discovery in 1915, bacteriophages have been used to treat bacterial infections in animals and humans because of their unique ability to infect their specific bacterial hosts without affecting other bacterial populations. The research carried out in this field throughout the 20th century, largely in Georgia, part of USSR and Poland, led to the establishment of phage therapy protocols. However, the discovery of penicillin and sulfonamide antibiotics in the Western World during the 1930s was a setback in the advancement of phage therapy. The misuse of antibiotics has reduced their efficacy in controlling pathogens and has led to an increase in the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. As an alternative to antibiotics, bacteriophages have become a topic of interest with the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, which are a threat to public health. Recent studies have indicated that bacteriophages can be used indirectly to detect pathogenic bacteria or directly as biocontrol agents. Moreover, they can be used to develop new molecules for clinical applications, vaccine production, drug design, and in the nanomedicine field via phage display.


Author(s):  
Nahla Omer Eltai ◽  
Hadi M. Yassine ◽  
Sara H. Al-Hadidi ◽  
Tahra ElObied ◽  
Asmaa A. Al Thani ◽  
...  

The dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) bacteria has been associated with the inappropriate use of antibiotics in both humans and animals and with the consumption of food contaminated with resistant bacteria. In particular, the use of antibiotics as prophylactic and growth promotion purposes in food-producing animals has rendered many of the antibiotics ineffective. The increased global prevalence of AMR poses a significant threat to the safety of the world’s food supply. Objectives: This study aims at determining the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from local and imported retail chicken meat in Qatar. Methodology: A total of 270 whole chicken carcasses were obtained from three different hypermarket stores in Qatar. A total of 216 E. coli were isolated and subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing against 18 relevant antibiotics using disc diffusion and micro- dilution methods. Furthermore, extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production was determined via a double-disc synergetic test. Isolates harboring colistin resistance were confirmed using multiplex-PCR and DNA sequencing. Results: Nearly 89% (192/216) of the isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotics. In general, isolates showed relatively higher resistance to sulfamethoxazole (62%), tetracycline (59.7%), ampicillin and trimethoprim (52.3%), ciprofloxacin (47.7%), cephalothin, and colistin (31.9%). On the other hand, less resistance was recorded against amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (6%), ceftriaxone (5.1%), nitrofurantoin (4.2%) and piperacillin/tazobactam (4.2%), cefepime (2.3%), meropenem (1.4%), ertapenem (0.9%), and amikacin (0.9%). Nine isolates (4.2%) were ESBL producers. Furthermore, 63.4% were multidrug-resistant (MDR). The percentage of MDR, ESBL producers, and colistin-resistant isolates was significantly higher among local isolates compared to imported chicken samples. Conclusion: We reported a remarkably high percentage of the antibiotic-resistant E. coli in chicken meat sold at retail in Qatar. The high percentage of MDR and colistin isolates is troublesome to the food safety of raw chicken meat and the potential of antibiotic resistance spread to public health. Our findings support the need for the implementation of one health approach to address the spread of antimicrobial resistance and the need for a collaborative solution.


Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1190
Author(s):  
Siqin Liu ◽  
Agnes Kilonzo-Nthenge ◽  
Samuel N. Nahashon ◽  
Bharat Pokharel ◽  
Abdullah Ibn Mafiz ◽  
...  

This study investigated the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in retail edible offal and muscle meats in Nashville, Tennessee. A total of 348 retail meats (160 edible offal and 188 muscle) were analyzed for Salmonella enterica serovar, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, E. coli O157:H7, and enterococci. Bacteria was identified using biochemical and PCR methods. Salmonella enterica serovar (4.4% and 4.3%), Campylobacter (1.9% and 1.1%), E. coli (79.4% and 89.4%), and enterococci (88.1% and 95.7%) was detected in offal and muscle meats, respectively. Chicken liver (9.7%) was most frequently contaminated with Salmonella enterica serovar, followed by ground chicken (6.9%) and chicken wings (4.2%). No Salmonella enterica serovar was detected in beef liver, beef tripe, and ground beef. The prevalence of Campylobacter was 6.9%, 2.3%, and 1.4% in beef liver, ground beef, and ground chicken, respectively. None of the meats were positive for E. coli O157:H7. Resistance of isolates was significantly (p < 0.05) highest in erythromycin (98.3%; 99.1%), followed by tetracycline (94%; 98.3%), vancomycin (88.8%; 92.2%) as compared to chloramphenicol (43.1%; 53.9%), amoxicillin/clavulanic (43.5%; 45.7%), and ciprofloxacin (45.7%; 55.7%) in offal and muscle meats, respectively. Imipenem showed the lowest resistance (0%; 0.9%). A total of 41 multidrug-resistant patterns were displayed. Edible offal could be a source of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.


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