Four novel Acinetobacter lwoffii strains isolated from the milk of cows in China with subclinical mastitis.

BACKGROUND: Acinetobacter lwoffii (A. lwoffii) is a Gram-negative bacteria common in the environment, and it is the normal flora in human respiratory and digestive tracts. The bacteria is a zoonotic and opportunistic pathogen that causes various infections, including nosocomial infections. The aim of this study was to identify A. lwoffii strains isolated from bovine milk with subclinical mastitis in China and get a better understanding of its antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance profile. This is the first study to analyze the drug resistance spectrum and corresponding mechanisms of A. lwoffii isolated in raw milk. RESULTS: Four A. lwoffii strains were isolated by PCR method. Genetic evolution analysis using the neighbor-joining method showed that the four strains had a high homology with Acinetobacter lwoffii. The strains were resistant to several antibiotics and carried 17 drug-resistance genes across them. Specifically, among 23 antibiotics, the strains were completely susceptible to 6 antibiotics, including doxycycline, erythromycin, polymyxin, clindamycin, imipenem, and meropenem. In addition, the strains showed variable resistance patterns. A total of 17 resistance genes, including plasmid-mediated resistance genes, were detected across the four strains. These genes mediated resistance to 5 classes of antimicrobials, including beta-lactam, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, tetracycline, sulfonamides, and chloramphenicol. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter lwoffii strains exist in raw milk of bovine with subclinical mastitis. Acinetobacter lwoffii are widespread in natural environmental samples, including water, soil, bathtub, soap box, skin, pharynx, conjunctiva, saliva, gastrointestinal tract, and vaginal secretions. The strains carry resistance genes in mobile genetic elements to enhance the spread of these genes. Therefore, more attention should be paid to epidemiological surveillance and drug resistant A. lwoffii.

Effect of baicalin on eradicating biofilms of bovine milk derived Acinetobacter lwoffii.

BACKGROUND: Acinetobacter lwoffii (A.lwoffii) is a serious zoonotic pathogen that has been identified as a cause of infections such as meningitis, bacteremia and pneumonia. In recent years, the infection rate and detection rate of A.lwoffii is increasing, especially in the breeding industry. Due to the presence of biofilms, it is difficult to eradicate and has become a potential super drug-resistant bacteria. Therefore, eradication of preformed biofilm is an alternative therapeutic action to control A.lwoffii infection. The present study aimed to clarify that baicalin could eradicate A.lwoffii biofilm in dairy cows, and to explore the mechanism of baicalin eradicating A.lwoffii. RESULTS: The results showed that compared to the control group, the 4 MIC of baicalin significantly eradicated the preformed biofilm, and the effect was stable at this concentration, the number of viable bacteria in the biofilm was decreased by 0.67 Log10CFU/mL. The total fluorescence intensity of biofilm bacteria decreased significantly, with a reduction rate of 67.0%. There were 833 differentially expressed genes (367 up-regulated and 466 down-regulated), whose functions mainly focused on oxidative phosphorylation, biofilm regulation system and trehalose synthesis. Molecular docking analysis predicted 11 groups of target proteins that were well combined with baicalin, and the content of trehalose decreased significantly after the biofilm of A.lwoffii was treated with baicalin. CONCLUSIONS: The present study evaluated the antibiofilm potential of baicalin against A.lwoffii. Baicalin revealed strong antibiofilm potential against A.lwoffii. Baicalin induced biofilm eradication may be related to oxidative phosphorylation and TCSs. Moreover, the decrease of trehalose content may be related to biofilm eradication.

Evidence and antibiotic resistance profiles of clinical Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii (ACB) and non-ACB complex members in companion animals: A 2020-2022 retrospective study.

To evaluate the frequency of Acinetobacter spp., belonging to both Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii (ACB) and non-ACB complex, and their antibiotic resistance profiles in veterinary medicine, a three-year (2020-2022) retrospective study was carried out on sick companion animals. Epidemiological data from different clinical canine, feline, and equine samples, were acquired. For each strain, MALDI-TOF MS identification and susceptibility to a panel of 11 antibiotics, by Kirby-Bauer and E-test methods, were performed. Out of 628 bacteriological examinations, 2.5% resulted positive for strains belonging to Acinetobacter genus. Frequencies of 2.3%, 1.9%, and 3% were obtained from both in-visiting and hospitalized dogs, cats, and horses, respectively. Members of ACB-complex accounted for 50% of isolates. Since all strains resulted susceptible to aminoglycosides and polymyxins, no pandrug-resistant (PDR) species were recorded. While 12.5% A. baumannii resulted extensively-drug resistant (XDR), a higher percentage of multidrug-resistant strains was recorded among non-ACB strains (35.5%) than ACB strains (25%). Susceptibility was observed in the same percentage in both groups (62.5%). All ACB strains confirmed their intrinsic resistances. Non-ACB species showed lower resistances against antipseudomonal penicillins plus beta-lactamase inhibitors (P=0.1306), III generation cephalosporins (P=0.0547), and tetracyclines (P=0.0209) than ACB species. Carbapenem-resistance was observed for XDR A. baumannii (12.5%) and, in particular for MDR non-ACB complex members (25%). To our knowledge, A. lactucae represents the first description in two sick dogs in Italy. Furthermore, our results emphasize the role of non-ACB-complex species as important zoonotic pathogens, which could be reservoirs of clinically relevant resistance profiles.

Dynamics of blaOXA-23 gene transmission in Acinetobacter spp. from contaminated veterinary environmental surfaces: an emerging One Health threat?

BACKGROUND: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii is a common pathogen associated with healthcare-acquired infections, and robust infection prevention and control protocols exist in human healthcare settings. In contrast, infection prevention and control (IPC) standards are limited in veterinary medicine, necessitating further investigation. AIM: Examine the possible transmission of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp. in a veterinary practice where a cat was diagnosed with an OXA-23-producing A. baumannii ST2 strain. METHODS: Environmental samples together with nasal and hand swabs from the veterinary personnel were collected. All swabs were screened for the presence of extended-spectrum-ß-lactamase- and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales, meticillin-resistant staphylococcus and multi-drug-resistant Acinetobacter spp. Whole-genome sequencing was performed for carbapenemase-producing strains. RESULTS: Of the veterinary staff, 60% carried meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis. Environmental evaluation showed that 40% (N=6/15) of the surfaces analysed by contact plates and 40% (N=8/20) by swabs failed the hygiene criteria. Assessment of the surfaces revealed contamination with five OXA-23-producing Acinetobacter spp. strains: an OXA-23-producing Acinetobacter schindleri on the weight scale in the waiting room; and four OXA-23-producing Acinetobacter lwoffii strains, on different surfaces of the treatment room. The blaOXA-23 gene was located on the same plasmid-carrying Tn2008 across the different Acinetobacter spp. strains. These plasmids closely resemble a previously described OXA-23-encoding plasmid from a human Portuguese nosocomial Acinetobacter pittii isolate. Distinctly, the OXA-23-producing A. baumannii ST2 clinical strain had the resistant gene located on Tn2006, possibly inserted on the chromosome. CONCLUSION: The detection of an OXA-23-producing A. baumannii ST2 veterinary clinical strain is of concern for companion animal health and infection, prevention and control. This study established the dynamic of transmission of the plasmid-mediated blaOXA-23 gene on critical surfaces of a small animal veterinary practice. The genetic resemblance to a plasmid found in human nosocomial settings suggests a potential One Health link.

Bovine skin fibroblasts mediated immune responses to defend against bovine Acinetobacter baumannii infection.

Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is an opportunistic pathogen which can cause pneumonia, sepsis and infections of skin and soft tissue. The host mostly relies on innate immune responses to defend against the infection of A. baumannii. Currently, it has been confirmed that fibroblasts involved in innate immune responses. Therefore, to explore how bovine skin fibroblasts mediated immune responses to defend against A. baumannii infection, we analyzed the differential transcripts data of bovine skin fibroblasts infected with bovine A. baumannii by RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq). We found that there were 3014 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 14h with bovine A. baumannii infection, including 1940 up-regulated genes and 1074 down-regulated genes. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment showed that ubiquitin protein ligase binding, IL-6 receptor complex, ERK1 and ERK2 cascade terms were mainly enriched. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment showed that innate immune pathways were significantly enriched, such as TNF, IL-17, NLR, MAPK, NF-κB, endocytosis, apoptosis and HIF-1 signaling pathways. Furthermore, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) revealed that GO terms such as chemokine receptor binding and Th17 cell differentiation and KEGG pathways such as TLR and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathways were up-regulated. In addition, CASP3 and JUN were the core functional genes of apoptosis, while IL-6, ERBB2, EGFR, CHUK and MAPK8 were the core functional genes of immunity by Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) analysis. Our study provided an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms of fibroblasts against A. baumannii infection. It also lays the foundation for the development of new therapeutic targets for the diseases caused by A. baumannii infection and formulates effective therapeutic strategies for the prevention and control of the diseases caused by A. baumannii.

Multilocus Sequence Typing of Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates Harboring blaOXA-23 and blaIMP in Cattle from Punjab, Pakistan.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a notorious bacterial pathogen that can cause an array of nosocomial infections in clinical settings. However, the data from the veterinary settings is limited and especially in Pakistan, no such study is conducted so far. To investigate the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance, and distribution of specific sequence types of A. baumannii in cattle, a total of 1,960 samples were collected from cattle over 18 months from Punjab, Pakistan. The isolates obtained were identified using the API20NE system and confirmed through PCR. The isolated A. baumannii isolates were further screened for antimicrobial susceptibility and the presence of resistance genes. Multilocus sequence typing was carried out to characterize the carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) isolates. Results revealed an overall prevalence of A. baumannii at 3.31% (65/1,960) with a higher prevalence of 7.38% (54/731) in dairy cattle compared to beef cattle at 4.41% (11/249). Among 65 A. baumannii isolates, 27.7% (18/65) were CRAB. All CRAB isolates harbor class D ß-lactamases genes blaOXA-23 and blaOXA-51, whereas 94.4% (17/18) CRAB isolates carried class B ß-lactamases gene blaIMP, and only one isolate had blaNDM-1 gene. The commonly found sequence types for CRAB isolates were ST2 and ST642 corresponding to 10 and 05 isolates, respectively. The presence of CRAB in cattle indicates an alarming situation that necessitates an urgent and efficient surveillance system to limit the transmission of CRAB among the cattle population and its possible transmission to humans and the environment.

Emergence and multi-lineages of carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex from canine and feline origins.

The carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii is an important opportunistic bacterium and frequently causes hospital-acquired infections in humans. It also has increasingly been reported in veterinary medicine. This study illustrates multiple clones of carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii disseminating and causing diseases in dogs and cats in Thailand. Between 2016 and 2020, 44 A. baumannii and two A. pittii isolates exhibiting imipenem resistance (MIC≥16 µg/mL) from diagnostic samples were characterized by Pasteur multilocus sequence typing (MLST), sequence grouping (SG), repetitive extragenic palindromic element (rep)-PCR fingerprint analysis and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiling. All isolates contained blaOXA-23 in the Tn2006 family, and A. baumannii showed the sequence type (ST) 16 (14/44), ST149 (12/44), ST25 (6/44), ST2 (4/44), ST1581 (3/44), ST23 (2/44), ST1575 (1/44) and ST1576 (1/44). DNA fingerprint analysis and SG illustrated clonal relationships in the STs and its single locus variants, and AMR gene profiles, including tetracycline and aminoglycoside resistance genes, showed minor variations in the clones. The findings suggest that blaOXA-23 has been spread in multiple clones of A. baumannii and A. pittii from canine and feline hosts. With the collection of multiple AMR genes and intrinsic resistance, antimicrobial options are limited for treatment, and pets can be a potential reservoir of extensively drug-resistant, carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii in the community. Epidemiological tracking by passive and active surveillance in animals, veterinary personnel and hospital environment and preventive measurements should be promoted to decrease the risk of infection and transmission to humans.

Acinetobacter baumannii Sampled from Cattle and Pigs Represent Novel Clones.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a very important human pathogen. Nonetheless, we know very little about nonhuman isolates of A. baumannii. Here, we determine the genomic identity of 15 Scottish cattle and pig isolates, as well as their antibiotic and virulence genetic determinants, and compare them with 148 genomes from the main human clinical international clones. Our results demonstrate that cattle and pig isolates represent novel clones well separated from the major international clones. Furthermore, these new clones showed fewer antibiotic resistance genes and may have fewer virulence genes than human clinical isolates. IMPORTANCE Over the last decades, huge amounts of information have been obtained for clinical isolates of A. baumannii and the clones they belong to. In contrast, very little is known about the genomic identity and the genomic basis for virulence and resistance of animal isolates. To fulfil this gap, we conducted a genomic epidemiology study of 15 Scottish cattle and pig isolates in the context of almost 150 genomes belonging to the main international clones of A. baumannii. Our findings show that these animal isolates represent novel clones clearly different from the major international clones. Furthermore, these new clones are distinct in nature considering both antibiotic resistance and virulence when compared with their human clinical counterparts.

Sporadic Dissemination of tet(X3) and tet(X6) Mediated by Highly Diverse Plasmidomes among Livestock-Associated Acinetobacter.

The emergence of high-level tigecycline resistance mediated by plasmid-borne tet(X) genes greatly threatens the clinical effectiveness of tigecycline. However, the dissemination pattern of plasmid-borne tet(X) genes remains unclear. We here recovered tet(X)-positive Acinetobacter isolates from 684 fecal and environmental samples collected at six livestock farms. Fifteen tet(X)-positive Acinetobacter isolates were identified, mainly including 9 tet(X3)- and 5 tet(X6)-positive Acinetobacter towneri isolates. A clonal dissemination of tet(X3)-positive A. towneri was detected in a swine farm, while the tet(X6)-positive A. towneri isolates mainly disseminated sporadically in the same farm. A tet(X3)-carrying plasmid (pAT181) was self-transmissible from a tigecycline-susceptible A. towneri strain to Acinetobacter baumannii strain ATCC 17978, causing 64- to 512-fold increases in the MIC values of tetracyclines (including tigecycline). Worrisomely, pAT181 was stably maintained and increased the growth rate of strain ATCC 17978. Further identification of tet(X) genes in 10,680 Acinetobacter genomes retrieved from GenBank revealed that tet(X3) (n = 249), tet(X5)-like (n = 61), and tet(X6) (n = 53) were the prevalent alleles mainly carried by four species, and most of them were livestock associated. Phylogenetic analysis showed that most of the tet(X3)- and tet(X6)-positive isolates disseminated sporadically. The structures of the tet(X3), and tet(X6) plasmidomes were highly diverse, and no epidemic plasmids were detected. However, cross-species and cross-region transmissions of tet(X3) might have been mediated by several plasmids in a small proportion of strains. Our study implies that horizontal plasmid transfer may be insignificant for the current dissemination of tet(X3) and tet(X6) in Acinetobacter strains. Continuous surveillance for tet(X) genes in the context of One Health is necessary to prevent them from transmitting to humans. IMPORTANCE Recently identified plasmid-borne tet(X) genes have greatly challenged the efficiency of tigecycline, a last-resort antibiotic for severe infection, while the dissemination pattern of the plasmid-borne tet(X) genes remains unclear. In this study, we identified a clonal dissemination of tet(X3)-positive A. towneri isolates on a swine farm, while the tet(X6)-positive A. towneri strains mainly disseminated sporadically on the same farm. Of more concern, a tet(X3)-carrying plasmid was found to be self-transmissible, resulting in enhanced tigecycline resistance and growth rate of the recipient. Further exploration of a global data set of tet(X)-positive Acinetobacter genomes retrieved from GenBank revealed that most of the tet(X3)- and tet(X6)-positive isolates shared a highly distant relationship, and the structures of tet(X3) and tet(X6) plasmidomes exhibited high mosaicism. Notably, some of the isolates belong to Acinetobacter species that are opportunistic pathogens and have been identified as sources of nosocomial infections, raising concerns about transmission to humans in the future. Our study evidenced the sporadic dissemination of tet(X3) and tet(X6) in Acinetobacter strains and the necessity of continuous surveillance for tet(X) genes in the context of One Health.

Octopromycin: Antibacterial and antibiofilm functions of a novel peptide derived from Octopus minor against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

The emergence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has increased the risk of nosocomial infections, which pose a huge health threat. There is an urgent need to develop alternative therapies, including broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptides. In this study, we designed, characterized, and studied the antibacterial, antibiofilm effects and possible mode of actions of a novel synthetic peptide Octopromycin, derived from the proline-rich protein 5 of Octopus minor. Octopromycin consists of 38 amino acids, (+5) net positive charge, high hydrophobic residue ratio (36%), and two α-helix secondary structures. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration against A. baumannii were 50 and 200 µg/mL, respectively. Time-kill kinetics and bacterial viability assays confirmed the concentration-dependent antibacterial activity of Octopromycin. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images clearly showed ultrastructural alterations in Octopromycin-treated A. baumannii cells. Propidium iodide penetrated into Octopromycin-treated A. baumannii cells, demonstrating the loss of cell membrane integrity. Octopromycin treatment increased the production of reactive oxygen species in a concentration-dependent manner, and it inhibited the biofilm formation and showed biofilm eradication activity against A. baumannii. In vitro and in vivo safety evaluation revealed that Octopromycin was nontoxic to HEK293T and Raw 264.7 cells (<400 µg/mL), as well as mice red blood cells (<300 µg/mL), and zebrafish embryos (<4 µg/mL). An in vivo study results revealed that the A. baumannii-infected fish treated with Octopromycin exhibited a significantly higher relative percent survival (37.5%) than the infected mock-treated fish with PBS (16.6%). Furthermore, a decreased bacterial load and fewer alterations in histological analysis confirmed the successful control of A. baumannii by Octopromycin in vivo. Collectively, the results indicate that the antibacterial peptide Octopromycin may achieve rapid control of A. baumannii through multi-target interactions; it presents a desirable therapeutic option for the prevention and control of the infections.

Spread of tet(X5) and tet(X6) genes in multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains of animal origin.

The recent emergence of plasmid-mediated tigecycline resistance gene tet(X) has challenged the clinical effectiveness of tigecycline as a last-resort treatment option. During 2017-2018, 336 fecal samples from sick ducks, pigs, chickens and geese in Guangdong, China, were screened for tet(X)-positive Acinetobacter baumannii strains. Their activities on tetracyclines were determined by microbiological degradation and mass spectrometry, followed by susceptibility testing, sequence typing, gene transfer, molecular location and genomic DNA sequencing analyses. A total of 10 tet(X)-positive A. baumannii strains were isolated from ducks and chickens, including eight plasmid-borne tet(X5)-positive and two chromosomal tet(X6)-positive isolates. All of them exhibited good degradation activities on tetracyclines by hydroxylation at C11a and were multidrug-resistant to tigecycline, tetracycline, florfenicol, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Genetically, they belonged to two sequence types (ST355, n = 8; ST1980, n = 2) that were consistent with their pulsotypes, revealing a clonal spread of ST355 A. baumannii. An ISCR2- or IS26-mediated tet(X) transposition structure, homologous to those of clinical A. baumannii strains, was also identified and ISCR2 could transfer tet(X5) into the recipient Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 at a frequency of (1.8 ± 0.3)×10-6. Therefore, more efforts are needed to evaluate the clinical impact of these tigecycline resistance genes.

Polyarthritis Caused by Acinetobacter kookii in a Rothschild's Giraffe Calf (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi).

We report the first isolation of Acinetobacter kookii from a Rothschild's giraffe calf (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) that had severe polyarthritis. The isolate was resistant to more than one representative of each of four classes of antibiotics (penicillins, macrolides, lincosamides and tetracyclines). As A. kookii has not been previously associated with disease in humans or animals, it may be an emerging opportunistic pathogen posing a threat to immunocompromised patients. Furthermore, as transmission of Acinetobacter spp. with similar patterns of antimicrobial resistance has been previously reported in human and animal populations, special care should be taken when handling infected animals.

Antimicrobial resistance patterns of Acinetobacter spp. of animal origin reveal high rate of multidrug resistance.

Antimicrobial resistance has been declared by the World Health Organization as one of the biggest threats to public health and Acinetobacter baumannii is a notable example. A. baumannii is an important human nosocomial pathogen, being along with other multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria, one of the biggest public health concerns worldwide. In Veterinary Medicine, resistance patterns of Acinetobacter species other than A. baumanii are unclear, and the scarce information available is limited and fragmented. We applied a statistical modeling approach to investigate the occurrence, clinical relevance and antimicrobial resistant phenotypes of Acinetobacter spp. originated from animals. Seven Acinetobacter species were identified in clinical specimens of more than 15 different domestic, zoo and exotic animal species. We found a high rate of MDR A. baumannii of canine origin with some of these isolates originating from serious systemic or wound infections, which highlights their potential pathogenic profile and spread in the human environment. Data also revealed different antimicrobial resistance patterns of animal-origin Acinetobacter species, emphasizing the necessity to implement specific antimicrobial susceptibility recommendations for animal isolates as there are no such clinical breakpoints currently in place. This study provides substantial advancing in our understanding of Acinetobacter spp. in animal clinical specimens, and highlights the role of animals in the dynamics of multidrug resistance in bacteria. The data presented here is a valuable source of information for further establishment of clinical breakpoints for susceptibility testing of animal-associated Acinetobacter isolates.

Extensively Drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Belonging to International Clone II from A Pet Cat with Urinary Tract Infection; The First Report from Pakistan.

The carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) has got global attention as a notorious nosocomial pathogen. This study describes a case of urinary tract infection in a 2-years old pet female cat infected with A. baumannii. The susceptibility profiling, screening for the resistance determinants, and the multilocus sequence typing was performed. The A. baumannii isolate was found to harbor the blaOXA23-like gene and corresponded to International clone II that has been widely reported to be involved in human infections. The study proposes that the pets may contribute towards the spread of clinically relevant antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.The carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) has got global attention as a notorious nosocomial pathogen. This study describes a case of urinary tract infection in a 2-years old pet female cat infected with A. baumannii. The susceptibility profiling, screening for the resistance determinants, and the multilocus sequence typing was performed. The A. baumannii isolate was found to harbor the blaOXA23-like gene and corresponded to International clone II that has been widely reported to be involved in human infections. The study proposes that the pets may contribute towards the spread of clinically relevant antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.

Low Occurrence of Acinetobacter baumannii in Gulls and Songbirds.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a worldwide occurring nosocomial pathogen, the natural habitats of which remain to be defined. Recently, white stork nestlings have been described as a recurring source of A. baumannii. Here, we challenged the hypothesis of a general preference of A. baumannii for avian hosts. Taking advantage of campaigns to ring free-living birds, we collected cloacal swab samples from 741 black-headed gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) in Poland, tracheal and cloacal swabs from 285 songbirds in Poland as well as tracheal swabs from 25 songbirds in Slovenia and screened those for the growth of A. baumannii on CHROMagarTM Acinetobacter. Of the 1,051 samples collected only two yielded A. baumannii isolates. Each carried one variant of the bla OXA-51-like gene, i.e. OXA-71 and OXA-208, which have been described previously in clinical isolates of A. baumannii. In conclusion, our data do not support a general preference of A. baumannii for avian hosts.Acinetobacter baumannii is a worldwide occurring nosocomial pathogen, the natural habitats of which remain to be defined. Recently, white stork nestlings have been described as a recurring source of A. baumannii. Here, we challenged the hypothesis of a general preference of A. baumannii for avian hosts. Taking advantage of campaigns to ring free-living birds, we collected cloacal swab samples from 741 black-headed gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) in Poland, tracheal and cloacal swabs from 285 songbirds in Poland as well as tracheal swabs from 25 songbirds in Slovenia and screened those for the growth of A. baumannii on CHROMagarTM Acinetobacter. Of the 1,051 samples collected only two yielded A. baumannii isolates. Each carried one variant of the bla OXA-51-like gene, i.e. OXA-71 and OXA-208, which have been described previously in clinical isolates of A. baumannii. In conclusion, our data do not support a general preference of A. baumannii for avian hosts.

Co-occurrence of Plasmid-Mediated Tigecycline and Carbapenem Resistance in Acinetobacter spp. from Waterfowls and Their Neighboring Environment.

Tigecycline serves as one of the antibiotics of last resort to treat multidrug-resistant (including carbapenem-resistant) pathogens. However, the recently emerged plasmid-mediated tigecycline resistance mechanism, Tet(X), challenges the clinical efficacy of this class of antibiotics. In this study, we detected 180 tet(X)-harboring Acinetobacter isolates (8.9%, n = 180) from 2,018 samples collected from avian farms and adjacent environments in China. Eighteen tet(X)-harboring isolates (10.0%) were found to cocarry the carbapenemase gene blaNDM-1, mostly from waterfowl samples (94.4%, 17/18). Interestingly, among six Acinetobacter strains, tet(X) and blaNDM-1 were found to colocalize on the same plasmids. Moreover, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) revealed a novel orthologue of tet(X) in the six isolates coharboring tet(X) and blaNDM-1 Inverse PCR suggested that the two tet(X) genes form a single transposable unit and may be cotransferred. Sequence comparison between six tet(X)- and blaNDM-1-coharboring plasmids showed that they shared a highly homologous plasmid backbone even though they were isolated from different Acinetobacter species (three from Acinetobacter indicus, two from Acinetobacter schindleri, and one from Acinetobacter lwoffii) from various sources and from different geological regions, suggesting the horizontal genetic transfer of a common tet(X)- and blaNDM-1-coharboring plasmid among Acinetobacter species in China. Emergence and spread of such plasmids and strains are of great clinical concern, and measures must be implemented to avoid their dissemination.

Drug resistance and virulence traits of Acinetobacter baumannii from Turkey and chicken raw meat.

Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is a miscellaneous bacterium with ability of extensive antibiotic resistance. A. baumannii strains have also been isolated from animal origins. The objective of our atudy was characterization of A. baumannii antibiotic resistance and virulence traits from turkey and chicken raw meat. Of 576 turkey and 424 chicken specimens during 2017-2019, 200 (120 from turkey and 80 from chicken) isolates were identified as A. baumannii. Virulence factors and antibiotic resistance patterns of A. baumannii were determined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique and Kirby-Bauer test. All the isolates were resistant to tetracycline and cefoxitin and 81 % and 56 % of them produced ESBLs and carbapenemases. Also 74 % of them (34 % from chicken and 40 % from turkey) were multidrug-resistant (MDR) A. baumannii. Colistin and fosfomycin non-susceptibility was detected among 12 % and 10 % of them, respectively. The existence of tetA, dfrA, tetB, blaoxa-51-like, blaoxa-23-like, sul1, blaoxa-24-like, blaoxa-58-like, fosA3 and mcr-1 genes accounted for 80 %, 71 %, 70.5 %, 66 %, 62 %, 43 %, 34 %, 22 %, 11 % and 13 % of them, repectively. Additionally, predominant virulence factors included the fimH, afa/draBC, sfa/foc DE, cnfI and cnf2 genes. The rate of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors was not significantly different between turkey and chicken (p > 0.05). High rate of antibiotic non-susceptibility even against last-line resorts in poultry products is a concern and suggest that animals play a potential role as reservoirs of transmission of MDR A. baumannii.