Extensively drug-, ciprofloxacin-, cefotaxime-, and azithromycin-resistant Salmonella enterica serovars isolated from camel meat in Egypt.

Given the great importance of Salmonella as a leading foodborne pathogen of global concern and the few available data regarding its prevalence in camel meat, the present study aimed to determine the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profile, virulence genes, ß-lactamase genes of Salmonella enterica serovars isolated from camel meat marketed in Egypt. Forty-five (29.6 %) of the 152 camel meat samples examined were positive for Salmonella spp. Among the 432 Salmonella presumptive colonies isolated, 128 were molecularly verified as Salmonella after confirmation by PCR targeting the Salmonella marker (invA) gene. Virulence genes, encompassing stn, spvC, and hilA genes, were detected in 91.4 % (117/128), 20.3 % (26/128), and 80.5 % (103/128) of the isolates, respectively. S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, S. Cerro, and S. Montevideo were the most prevalent serovars with incidences of 25 % (32/128), 15.6 % (20/128), 15.6 % (20/128), and 12.5 % (16/128), respectively. Interestingly, 56.3 %, 53.1 %, 37.5 %, 28.1 %, 21.9 %, 18.8 %, 12.5 %, and 3.1 % of the isolates tested showed resistance to cefepime, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, cefotaxime, gentamicin, colistin, meropenem, and azithromycin, respectively. Salmonella isolates showed resistance to at least one antibiotic, with a mean multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index of 0.472. Interestingly, 59.4 %, 15.6 %, and 3.1 % of the isolates were categorized into multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant, and pan-drug-resistant, respectively. Only 23 (25 %) of the 92 ampicillin-resistant isolates were proven to be Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL)-producing Salmonella, in which ß-lactamase (bla) genes were detected. The blaOXA-2 was the most existing gene where it was detected lonely in 10 of the ampicillin-resistant isolates and coexisted with blaCMY-1 in 4 isolates and with blaCMY-2 in a single isolate. The blaCMY-1, however, existed in 11 isolates, whereas the blaCMY-2 gene was only detected in 3 isolates tested. The present findings affirm that camel meat could be a leading reservoir for multi- and extensively-drug-resistance ß-lactamase-producing Salmonella, representing a global public health challenge. Therefore, further research is necessary to detect the prevalence and AMR of Salmonella serovars from camel meat in Egypt and other countries to put camel meat as a source of Salmonella in foods of animal origin.

Antimicrobial resistance and molecular genotyping of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus isolated from some Egyptian cheeses.

OBJECTIVE: This work investigated the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and virulence of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in communally consumed cheeses in Egypt. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study examined 100 samples of Domiati, Tallaga, Cheddar, and Ras cheese collected from several shops and supermarkets. Samples were spread on selective media to isolate bacterial strains. Molecular characterization of bacterial isolates was carried out using polymerase chain reaction to determine Shiga toxin 1 (stx1), Shiga toxin 2 (stx2), eaeA, and nuc genes. The isolates were tested for susceptibility to 14 antibiotics by disk diffusion assay. RESULTS: In this study, several E. coli serotypes were identified. E. coli O26:H11, O103:H2, and O111:H2 expressed stx1/2, E. coli O114:H4 expressed stx1, E. coli O17:H18, O21:H7 and O146:H21 expressed stx2, while only E. coli O26:H11 and O111:H2 expressed eaeA. The E. coli isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic, while most isolates (82.4%) showed multidrug resistance (MDR). AMR to erythromycin was the highest (100%), followed by nalidixic acid (94.1%), cefotaxime (82.4%), vancomycin and cephalothin (64.7%), penicillin G (52.9%), sulfamethoxazole (47.1%), amikacin and kanamycin (35.3%), ampicillin (29.4%), tetracycline and ciprofloxacin (23.5%), and doxycycline (11.8%), while gentamicin showed the least resistance (5.9%). The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index of the isolated E. coli ranged from 0.071 to 1 (mean = 0.478). All S. aureus isolates expressed the nuc gene and demonstrated resistance to at least one antibiotic, and 90% of isolates were MDR. AMR to kanamycin and cephalothin was the highest (100%), followed by penicillin (90%), doxycycline (70%), nalidixic acid and sulfamethoxazole (60%), erythromycin (50%), tetracycline, cefotaxime, and gentamicin (40%), ciprofloxacin and ampicillin (30%), and amikacin (20%). In comparison, vancomycin showed the least resistance (10%). MAR index of isolated S. aureus ranged from 0.143 to 1 (mean = 0.529). CONCLUSION: The antimicrobial-resistant E. coli and S. aureus are potential risks for public health and may have a role in disseminating AMR to other pathogenic and non-pathogenic microbes.