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Multicenter Study
. 2019 Sep;24(39):1900071.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2019.24.39.1900071.

Shedding of OXA-181 carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli from companion animals after hospitalisation in Switzerland: an outbreak in 2018

Aurélien Nigg  1 , Michael Brilhante  1   2 , Valentina Dazio  3 , Mathieu Clément  2   4 , Alexandra Collaud  1 , Stefanie Gobeli Brawand  1 , Barbara Willi  5 , Andrea Endimiani  4 , Simone Schuller  3 , Vincent Perreten  1
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Shedding of OXA-181 carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli from companion animals after hospitalisation in Switzerland: an outbreak in 2018

Aurélien Nigg et al. Euro Surveill. 2019 Sep.

Abstract

BackgroundCarbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae pose a serious threat to public health worldwide, and the role of companion animals as a reservoir is still unclear.AimsThis 4-month prospective observational study evaluated carriage of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae at admission and after hospitalisation in a large referral hospital for companion animals in Switzerland.MethodsRectal swabs of dogs and cats expected to be hospitalised for at least 48 h were taken from May to August 2018 and analysed for the presence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae using selective agar plates. Resistant isolates were further characterised analysing whole genome sequences for resistance gene and plasmid identification, and ad hoc core genome multilocus sequence typing.ResultsThis study revealed nosocomial acquisition of Escherichia coli harbouring the carbapenemase gene bla OXA-181, the pAmpC cephalosporinase gene bla CMY-42 as well as quinolone resistance associated with qnrS1 and mutations in the topoisomerases II (GyrA) and IV (ParC). The bla OXA-181 and qnrS1 genes were identified on a 51 kb IncX3 plasmid and bla CMY-42 on a 47 kb IncI1 plasmid. All isolates belonged to sequence type ST410 and were genetically highly related. This E. coli clone was detected in 17 of 100 dogs and four of 34 cats after hospitalisation (21.6%), only one of the tested animals having tested positive at admission (0.75%). Two positive animals were still carriers 4 months after hospital discharge, but were negative after 6 months.ConclusionsCompanion animals may acquire carbapenemase-producing E. coli during hospitalisation, posing the risk of further dissemination to the animal and human population and to the environment.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance; carbapenem; cats; dogs; veterinary hospital.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Temporal acquisition and carriage of carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli ST410, Switzerland, May–August 2018 (n = 24)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Phylogenetic neighbour-joining tree of all carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli of ST410 isolated from animals hospitalised in a companion animal clinic (n = 24) and others available in GenBank (n = 7), Switzerland, May–August 2018
Figure 3
Figure 3
Circular maps of the resistance plasmids pAN-OXA-181 and pAN-CMY-42, Switzerland, May–August 2018 (n = 2)
Figure 4
Figure 4
Screening of companion animals before and after hospitalisation, Switzerland, May–August 2018 (n = 134)
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