Antimicrobial susceptibility and distribution of β-lactamase A (blaA) and β-lactamase B (blaB) genes in enteropathogenic Yersinia species

Microb Drug Resist. 2011 Dec;17(4):575-81. doi: 10.1089/mdr.2011.0098. Epub 2011 Oct 4.

Abstract

One hundred eighty-six strains of enteropathogenic Yersinia (Y.) enterocolitica of bioserotypes 2/O:5,27, 2/O:9, 3/O:3, and 4/O:3 and 12 strains of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis of bioserotypes 1/O:1, 1/O:2, and 2/O:1 from different human (feces) and nonhuman (pig, pork, wild boar, monkey, chinchilla, mara, capybara, salad) sources collected in the years 1995-2009 were examined. Antimicrobial resistance patterns for 12 antimicrobial agents were generated using broth microdilution. The presence and characterization of the β-lactamase genes blaA and blaB were studied using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), respectively. The expression of β-lactamase BlaA and BlaB was detected using double-disc diffusion. Y. enterocolitica strains showed resistance to ampicillin (92%), streptomycin (13%), and sulfamethoxazole (2%). Intermediate susceptibility to tetracycline was shown by two Y. enterocolitica strains. All Y. pseudotuberculosis strains were susceptible to all tested antimicrobial agents. Most (99%) of the Y. enterocolitica strains carried both β-lactamase genes. One strain of bioserotype 3/O:3 lacked both genes. In contrast, all Y. pseudotuberculosis strains carried neither of the β-lactamase genes. Homogeneity was detected in all blaA and blaB genes of Y. enterocolitica using PCR-RFLP. The majority (89%) of Y. enterocolitica strains expressed both β-lactamase enzymes, whereas none of the Y. pseudotuberculosis strains showed expression of either enzyme. Also, it seems that the resistance of Y. enterocolitica has not changed during the last years.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Infective Agents / pharmacology*
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial*
  • Europe
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Humans
  • Meat / microbiology
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
  • Sus scrofa / microbiology
  • Swine / microbiology
  • Yersinia Infections / microbiology*
  • Yersinia enterocolitica / drug effects*
  • Yersinia enterocolitica / enzymology
  • Yersinia enterocolitica / genetics
  • Yersinia pseudotuberculosis / drug effects*
  • Yersinia pseudotuberculosis / enzymology
  • Yersinia pseudotuberculosis / genetics
  • beta-Lactamases / biosynthesis
  • beta-Lactamases / genetics*

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • beta-Lactamases