Detection of the mcr-1 Gene in a Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli Isolate from an Austrian Patient

Abstract

Since colistin resistance based on the plasmid-encoded mcr-1 gene was first described, this resistance gene in Enterobacteriaceae has been found worldwide. These organisms are typically of heterogeneous genetic background and show exceptional clonal diversity. We describe the first confirmation of mcr-1 in a human Escherichia coli strain cultured from a surveillance stool sample of an Austrian oncology patient.

Keywords: Austria; Escherichia coli; colistin; mcr-1; resistance.