Prevalence of Enterococcus spp. and the Whole-Genome Characteristics of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis Strains Isolated from Free-Living Birds in Poland.

Enterococci as opportunistic bacteria are important for human health. Due to the prevalence and ease of acquisition and transfer of their genes, they are an excellent indicator of environmental contamination and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of Enterococcus spp. in wild birds in Poland, determination of antimicrobial susceptibility and WGS analysis of Enterococcus (E.) faecium and E. faecalis. For this purpose, 138 samples from various species of free-living birds were tested, with 66.7% positive results. Fourteen species were detected, with E. faecalis being the most common, followed by E. casseliflavus and E. hirae. In antimicrobial susceptibility testing, 10.0% of E. faecalis and 50.0% of E. faecium showed resistance to one antimicrobial agent, in addition the MDR phenotype which was found in one E. faecium. The most common resistance phenotype included tetracycline and quinupristin/dalfopristin. The WGS analysis confirmed the significant advantage of the virulence gene diversity of E. faecalis strains over E. faecium. In addition, plasmid replicons were found in 42.0% of E. faecalis and 80.0% of E. faecium. The obtained results confirm free-living birds can be a reservoir of Enterococcus spp. with a considerable zoonotic potential.

The first description of the complete genome sequence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar monophasic Typhimurium (1,4,[5],12:i:-) isolate with the mcr-1.1 gene on IncHI2 found in pig in Poland.

Monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium (1,4,[5],12:i:-) is one of the leading Salmonella serovars causing human salmonellosis in Europe. It has been observed in Poland since 2008. This serovar is considered the one with the highest rate of mcr prevalence. This report presents a sequence characteristic of the multidrug-resistant (MDR) monophasic S. Typhimurium isolated from a pig faecal sample with the confirmed presence of the mcr-1.1 gene. The genome was assembled into the complete chromosome and 4 plasmids: IncHI2 (232 119 bp), IncFIB/IncFIC (133 901 bp), ColRNAI (6659 bp), and Col8282 (4066bp). The strain identified as ST34 carried multiple antimicrobial resistance genes located both on chromosome (tet(B)) and plasmids: mcr-1.1 and blaTEM-1B on ST4-IncHI2, and mef(B), blaTEM-1B, aadA1, qacL, dfrA12, aadA2, cmlA1, sul3, tet(M) on IncFIB/FIC. The mcr-1.1 gene was previously identified in E. coli deriving mainly from poultry, but this is the first case of the occurrence of mcr-positive Salmonella in Poland. The obtained results of analysis of the genome content draw attention to the problem of multidrug-resistant pathogens, especially in the context of resistance to colistin which is a last-resort antimicrobial.

One Health surveillance-A cross-sectoral detection, characterization, and notification of foodborne pathogens.

Introduction: Several Proficiency Test (PT) or External Quality Assessment (EQA) schemes are currently available for assessing the ability of laboratories to detect and characterize enteropathogenic bacteria, but they are usually targeting one sector, covering either public health, food safety or animal health. In addition to sector-specific PTs/EQAs for detection, cross-sectoral panels would be useful for assessment of the capacity to detect and characterize foodborne pathogens in a One Health (OH) perspective and further improving food safety and interpretation of cross-sectoral surveillance data. The aims of the study were to assess the cross-sectoral capability of European public health, animal health and food safety laboratories to detect, characterize and notify findings of the foodborne pathogens Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp. and Yersinia enterocolitica, and to develop recommendations for future cross-sectoral PTs and EQAs within OH. The PT/EQA scheme developed within this study consisted of a test panel of five samples, designed to represent a theoretical outbreak scenario. Methods: A total of 15 laboratories from animal health, public health and food safety sectors were enrolled in eight countries: Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The laboratories analyzed the samples according to the methods used in the laboratory and reported the target organisms at species level, and if applicable, serovar for Salmonella and bioserotype for Yersinia. Results: All 15 laboratories analyzed the samples for Salmonella, 13 for Campylobacter and 11 for Yersinia. Analytical errors were predominately false negative results. One sample (S. Stockholm and Y. enterocolitica O:3/BT4) with lower concentrations of target organisms was especially challenging, resulting in six out of seven false negative results. These findings were associated with laboratories using smaller sample sizes and not using enrichment methods. Detection of Salmonella was most commonly mandatory to notify within the three sectors in the eight countries participating in the pilot whereas findings of Campylobacter and Y. enterocolitica were notifiable from human samples, but less commonly from animal and food samples. Discussion: The results of the pilot PT/EQA conducted in this study confirmed the possibility to apply a cross-sectoral approach for assessment of the joint OH capacity to detect and characterize foodborne pathogens.

Draft genome sequences data of four Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Dublin archival strains originating from animals in Poland, 1956 - 1957.

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Dublin (S. Dublin) is a zoonotic pathogen causing infections in animals, especially in cattle. In this study, we report draft genome sequences of four S. Dublin isolated between 1956 and 1957 from cattle and fox in Poland. Whole genome sequencing was performed on the Illumina platform and the data is available at National Center for Biotechnology Information under the BioProject accession number PRJNA865912. In order to better understand the genetic basis of epidemiology of S. Dublin infection, the obtained sequences were analyzed using the tools which are available at Center of Genomic Epidemiology (https://www.genomicepidemiology.org/) including core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) and core genome single nucleotide polymorphisms (cgSNPs).

Draft Genome Sequences of Six Isolates of the Bacillus cereus Group Isolated from Pet Reptiles.

Bacteria of the Bacillus cereus group are Gram-positive rods and are widespread in nature, but little information is currently available about their presence in reptiles. Here, we report draft genome sequences of six Bacillus isolates belonging to three species, namely, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus paranthracis, and Bacillus toyonensis, isolated from pet reptiles in Poland.