Phenotypic and Genotypic Characteristics of Antimicrobial Resistance in Citrobacter freundii Isolated from Domestic Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) in Bangladesh

Tarana Ahmed; Md Saiful Islam; Najmul Haider; Linzy Elton; Badrul Hasan; Mohammad Nuruzzaman; Md Tanvir Rahman; S M Lutful Kabir; Md Shahidur Rahman Khan

doi:10.3390/antibiotics12040769

Phenotypic and Genotypic Characteristics of Antimicrobial Resistance in Citrobacter freundii Isolated from Domestic Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) in Bangladesh

Antibiotics (Basel). 2023 Apr 17;12(4):769. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics12040769.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology and Hygiene, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh.
² Department of Livestock Services, Ministry of Fisheries & Livestock, Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh, Krishi Khamar Sarak, Farmgate, Dhaka 1215, Bangladesh.
³ School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK.
⁴ The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA, UK.
⁵ Centre for Clinical Microbiology, Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, Royal Free Campus, University College London, London NW3 2PF, UK.
⁶ Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia.
⁷ Ministry of Public Administration, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh.

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Citrobacter freundii poses a serious challenge as this species is one of the sources of nosocomial infection and causes diarrheal infections in humans. Ducks could be the potential source of multidrug-resistant (MDR) C. freundii; however, AMR profiles in C. freundii from non-human sources in Bangladesh have remained elusive. This study aimed to detect C. freundii in domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) in Bangladesh and to determine their phenotypic and genotypic antibiotic susceptibility patterns. A total of 150 cloacal swabs of diseased domestic ducks were screened using culturing, staining, biochemical, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) to detect C. freundii. Phenotypic and genotypic antibiotic susceptibility patterns were done by the disk diffusion method and PCR, respectively. In total, 16.67% (25/150) of the samples were positive for C. freundii. C. freundii isolates showed a range of 20% to 96% resistance to cefotaxime, gentamicin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, cotrimoxazole, tetracycline, ampicillin, and cephalexin. More than 60% of the isolates were phenotypically MDR, and the index of multiple antibiotic resistance ranged from 0.07 to 0.79. Genes encoding resistance to beta-lactams [bla_TEM-1-88% (22/25), bla_CMY-2-56% (14/25), bla_CMY-9-8% (2/25), and bla_CTX-M-14-20% (5/25)], sulfonamides [sul1-52% (13/25), sul2-24% (6/25)], tetracyclines [tetA-32% (8/25) and tetB-4% (1/25)], aminoglycosides [aacC4-16% (4/25)], and fluoroquinolones [qnrA-4% (1/25), qnrB-12% (3/25), and qnrS-4% (1/25)] were detected in the isolated C. freundii. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in Bangladesh to detect MDR C. freundii with their associated resistance genes from duck samples. We suggest addressing the burden of diseases in ducks and humans and associated AMR issues using the One Health approach.

Keywords: Bangladesh; C. freundii; antimicrobial resistance; ducks; multidrug resistance; public health; resistance genes.

Grants and funding

P149553/Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council