Isolation and characterization of multidrug resistant Gallibacterium anatis biovar haemolytica strains from Polish geese and hens

Magdalena Karwańska; Alina Wieliczko; Anders Miki Bojesen; Kasper Rømer Villumsen; Eva Krzyżewska-Dudek; Anna Woźniak-Biel

doi:10.1186/s13567-023-01198-2

Isolation and characterization of multidrug resistant Gallibacterium anatis biovar haemolytica strains from Polish geese and hens

Vet Res. 2023 Aug 23;54(1):67. doi: 10.1186/s13567-023-01198-2.

Authors

Magdalena Karwańska¹, Alina Wieliczko², Anders Miki Bojesen³, Kasper Rømer Villumsen³, Eva Krzyżewska-Dudek⁴, Anna Woźniak-Biel⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epizootiology and Clinic of Birds and Exotic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland. magdalena.karwanska@upwr.edu.pl.
² Department of Epizootiology and Clinic of Birds and Exotic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland.
³ Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
⁴ Department of Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland.
⁵ Department of Epizootiology and Clinic of Birds and Exotic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland. anna.wozniak-biel@upwr.edu.pl.

Abstract

Gallibacterium anatis biovar haemolytica is a bacterium that is frequently associated with infections of the reproductive tract and respiratory system in poultry. To assess the current prevalence and resistance profile of these bacteria in Poland, we collected and investigated 63 strains of Gallibacterium from diseased domestic poultry flocks including geese, laying hens, breeding hens and an ornamental hen. Detailed characterization of the isolates included the analysis of phenotypic antimicrobial resistance profiles and biofilm formation ability. Furthermore, the genetic background of 40 selected isolates regarding the presence of virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes and mobile genetic elements was determined. All investigated isolates were multidrug resistant, most prominently to β-lactams, fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides and macrolides. A total of 48 different resistance profiles were detected. Of all isolates, 50.8% formed a strong biofilm, where strains isolated from geese appeared to be better at biofilm formation than strains isolated from laying and breeding hens. Single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping revealed that G. anatis bv. haemolytica strains are restricted in host and geographical distribution, and the geese isolates showed greater phylogenetic similarity. Whole genome sequencing enabled identification of 25 different antimicrobial resistance determinants. The most common resistance genes were tetB, bla_ROB-1, and bla_TEM-1 which may be located on mobile genetic elements. All isolates possessed the toxin gene gtxA, and the fimbrial gene flfA was identified in 95% of strains. Our results indicated that all G. anatis bv. haemolytica isolates showed multidrug resistant phenotypes. Strains isolated from geese were characterized by the highest percentage of isolates resistant to selected antimicrobials, probably reflecting host-related adaptations.

Keywords: Gallibacterium anatis; NGS data; antimicrobial resistance; phylogeny; poultry; virulence genes.

MeSH terms

Animals
Chickens*
Female
Geese*
Phylogeny
Poland / epidemiology

Supplementary concepts

Gallibacterium anatis