Environmental dissemination of carbapenemase-producing enterobacteriaceae in rivers in Switzerland

Bleichenbacher, Stephanie; Stevens, Marc J.A.; Zurfluh, Katrin; Perreten, Vincent; Endimiani, Andrea; Stephan, Roger; Nüesch-Inderbinen, Magdalena (2020). Environmental dissemination of carbapenemase-producing enterobacteriaceae in rivers in Switzerland. Environmental pollution, 265, p. 115081. Elsevier Science 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115081

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The aquatic environment takes on a key role in the dissemination of antimicrobial-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. This study assesses the occurrence of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) in freshwater samples from rivers, inland canals, and streams throughout Switzerland, and characterizes the isolated strains using phenotypic and NGS-based genotypic methods. CPE producing KPC-2 (n = 2), KPC-3 (n = 1), NDM-5 (n = 3), OXA-48 (n = 3), OXA-181 (n = 6), and VIM-1 (n = 2) were detected in 17/164 of the water samples. Seven Escherichia coli had sequence types (STs) that belonged to extra-intestinal pathogenic clonal lineages ST38, ST73, ST167, ST410, and ST648. The majority (16/17) of the carbapenemase genes were located on plasmids, including the widespread IncC (n = 1), IncFIIA (n = 1), and IncFIIB plasmids (n = 4), the epidemic IncL (n = 1) and IncX3 (n = 5) plasmids, a rare Col156 plasmid (n = 1), and the mosaic IncFIB, IncR, and IncQ plasmids (n = 3). Plasmids were composed of elements that were identical to those of resistance plasmids retrieved from clinical and veterinary isolates locally and worldwide. Our data show environmental dissemination of high-risk CPE clones in Switzerland. Epidemic and mosaic-like plasmids carrying clinically relevant carbapenemase genes are replicating and evolving pollutants of river ecosystems, representing a threat to public health and environmental integrity.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

05 Veterinary Medicine > Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology (DIP) > Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology > Molecular Bacterial Epidemiology and Infectiology
04 Faculty of Medicine > Service Sector > Institute for Infectious Diseases > Research
04 Faculty of Medicine > Service Sector > Institute for Infectious Diseases
04 Faculty of Medicine > Service Sector > Institute for Infectious Diseases > General Bacteriology
05 Veterinary Medicine > Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology (DIP) > Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology

UniBE Contributor:

Perreten, Vincent, Endimiani, Andrea

Subjects:

600 Technology > 630 Agriculture
500 Science > 570 Life sciences; biology
600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health

ISSN:

0269-7491

Publisher:

Elsevier Science

Funders:

[4] Swiss National Science Foundation

Projects:

[1124] Whole Genome and Plasmid Sequencing for MDR Enterobacteriaceae Simultaneously Isolated from Multiple Human and Non-Human Settings: Deciphering Impact, Risks, and Dynamics for Resistance Transmission and Spread

Language:

English

Submitter:

Andrea Endimiani

Date Deposited:

30 Jun 2020 14:50

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 15:39

Publisher DOI:

10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115081

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.144883

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/144883

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