CTX-M-15-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae ST273 associated with nasal infection in a domestic cat

Camila Pereira Silva; Celso José Bruno de Oliveira; Elma Lima Leite; Samuel Paulo Cibulski; Magda Fernandes; Priscylla Carvalho Vasconcelos; Larissa Maranhão Dias; Núbia Michelle Vieira da Silva; Felício Garino Júnior; Artur Cesar de Carvalho Fernandes

doi:10.1016/j.jgar.2022.01.004

CTX-M-15-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae ST273 associated with nasal infection in a domestic cat

J Glob Antimicrob Resist. 2022 Mar:28:203-205. doi: 10.1016/j.jgar.2022.01.004. Epub 2022 Jan 10.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Veterinary Sciences, Center for Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba, Areia, PB, 58397-000, Brazil.
² Department of Animal Science, Center for Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba, Areia, PB, 58397-000, Brazil; Global One Health Initiative (GOHi), Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. Electronic address: celso.oliveira@academico.ufpb.br.
³ Department of Animal Science, Center for Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba, Areia, PB, 58397-000, Brazil.
⁴ Center for Biotechnology (CBiotec), Federal University of Paraíba (CBiotec/UFPB), João Pessoa, PB, 58051-900, Brazil.

PMID: 35026464
DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2022.01.004

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic context of expanded-spectrum β-lactam resistance in a Klebsiella pneumoniae strain causing a hard-to-treat nasal infection in a domestic cat.

Methods: A K. pneumoniae isolate was recovered from a 4-year-old male cat hospitalised in a veterinary hospital in Paraíba, Northeastern Brazil. Following phenotypic confirmation of multidrug resistance by the disk diffusion method, the genome was sequenced using an Illumina MiSeq system. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and structural features related to antimicrobial resistance were determined by downstream bioinformatics analyses.

Results: The strain was confirmed as sequence type 273 (ST273) K. pneumoniae harbouring a variety of genes conferring antimicrobial resistance to phenicols tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, β-lactams, fosfomycin, sulfonamides and quinolones. Two plasmids were identified. Plasmid p114PB_I co-harboured a set of plasmid-borne resistance genes [bla_CTX-M-15, bla_TEM-1, qnrS1, tetD, tetR, sul2, aph(6)-Id, aph(3'') and cat2]. Notably, the multiresistance region was characterised as a chimeric plasmid structure sharing high sequence homology with several plasmids from Enterobacteriaceae. The second plasmid (p114PB_II) was characterised as a plasmid present in many genomes belonging to K. pneumoniae.

Conclusion: The genetic context of the plasmid sequences harboured by a veterinary pathogenic K. pneumoniae isolate reveals the high complexity of horizontal gene transfer mechanisms in the acquisition of antimicrobial resistance genes. The emergence, dissemination and evolution of antimicrobial resistance must be investigated from a One Health perspective.

Keywords: CTX-M-15; Companion animals; ESBL; Extended-spectrum β-lactamase; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Whole-genome sequencing.

Publication types

Case Reports
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
Cats
Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / genetics
Klebsiella Infections* / drug therapy
Klebsiella Infections* / veterinary
Klebsiella pneumoniae*
Male
Multilocus Sequence Typing
beta-Lactamases / genetics

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
beta-Lactamases