| Title | Prevalence and characteristics of the mcr-1 gene in retail meat samples in Zhejiang Province, China |
|---|---|
| Author | Biao Tang1*, Jiang Chang2, Yi Luo3, Han Jiang4, Canying Liu5, Xingning Xiao1, Xiaofeng Ji1, and Hua Yang1* |
| Address | 1State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products & Institute of Agro-product Safety and Nutrition, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310004, P. R. China, 2School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai JiaoTong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China, 3Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, P. R. China, 4Key Laboratory of Marine Food Quality and Hazard Controlling Technology of Zhejiang Province, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, P. R. China, 5School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528225, P. R. China |
| Bibliography | Journal of Microbiology, 60(6),610-619, 2022, |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12275-022-1597-y |
| Key Words | Escherichia coli, mcr-1, IncI2, retail meat, antimicrobial resistance |
| Abstract | Considering the serious threat to food safety and public health posed by pathogens with colistin resistance, colistin was banned as a growth promoter in 2017 in China. In recent years, the resistance rate of Escherichia coli isolated from animal intestines or feces to colistin has decreased. However, the prevalence and characteristics of the mcr-1 gene in retail meat have not been well explored. Herein, 106 mcr-1-negative and 16 mcr- 1-positive E. coli isolates were randomly recovered from 120 retail meat samples and screened using colistin. The 106 E. coli isolates showed maximum resistance to sulfafurazole (73.58%) and tetracycline (62.26%) but susceptibility to colistin (0.00%). All 16 mcr-1-positive E. coli isolates showed resistance to colistin, were extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-positive and exhibited complex multidrug resistance (MDR). For these 16 isolates, 17 plasmid replicons and 42 antibiotic resistance genes were identified, and at least 7 antibiotic resistance genes were found in each isolate. Acquired disinfectant resistance genes were identified in 75.00% (12/16) of the isolates. Furthermore, comparative genomic and phylogenetic analysis results indicated that these 16 mcr-1-positive E. coli isolates and the most prevalent mcr-1-harboring IncI2 plasmid in this study were closely related to other previously reported mcr-1-positive E. coli isolates and the IncI2 plasmid, respectively, showing their wide distribution. Taken together, our findings showed that retail meat products were a crucial reservoir of mcr-1 during the colistin ban period and should be continuously monitored. |