First report of carbapenemase-producing bacteria from poultry farms in the United Arab Emirates: an emerging One Health threat.

IF 3.1 2区农林科学 Q1 VETERINARY SCIENCES

Frontiers in Veterinary Science Pub Date : 2026-09-24 eCollection Date: 2026-01-01 DOI:10.3389/fvets.2026.1847960

Hazim O Khalifa, Temesgen Mohammed, Mushal Allam, Afra Abdalla, Mohamed-Yousif Ibrahim Mohamed, Glindya Bhagya Lakshmi, Febin Anes, Farah Al-Marzooq, Ihab Habib

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Abstract

Background: Carbapenemase-producing bacteria represent a critical global public health threat, yet their presence and molecular characteristics in food animal production systems remain poorly understood. This study provides the first comprehensive report of carbapenemase-producing bacteria isolated from poultry farms in the United Arab Emirates, offering important One Health insights into emerging antimicrobial resistance risks at the human-animal-environment interface.

Methods: A total of 77 samples were collected from broiler farmhouses and slaughterhouses belonging to two major poultry companies in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, between June 2023 and April 2024. Isolates were screened on MacConkey agar supplemented with meropenem, and carbapenemase production was confirmed using the modified carbapenem inactivation method. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed, followed by whole-genome sequencing for species identification, resistome and virulome characterization, plasmid profiling, and comparative genomic analysis.

Results: Three isolates (3.9%) were confirmed as carbapenemase producers, two of which exhibited multidrug resistance. Whole-genome sequencing identified one Klebsiella pneumoniae ST11 KL105 isolate carrying bla _NDM-5 and two Metapseudomonas otitidis isolates harboring the intrinsic carbapenemase bla _POM-1. The K. pneumoniae isolate contained multiple plasmid replicons and a broad resistome. Virulence analysis revealed a complete yersiniabactin locus, enterobactin operon, ompA, and ECP-like pilus genes. Comparative genomic analysis demonstrated that the bla _NDM-5 genetic environment was highly conserved and nearly identical to that of a human ST11 isolate recovered in India in 2019. The two M. otitidis isolates showed a highly syntenic chromosomal bla _POM-1 locus and clustered closely with a human isolate from the United States (2016).

Conclusion: This study documents the presence of carbapenemase-producing bacteria in poultry production systems in the UAE, including a high-risk bla _NDM-5-harboring K. pneumoniae ST11 clone. The close genomic relatedness to human clinical isolates highlights the potential for cross-sectoral dissemination and underscores the importance of integrated genomic surveillance across animal, human, and environmental reservoirs.

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来源期刊

Frontiers in Veterinary Science Veterinary-General Veterinary

CiteScore

4.80

自引率

9.40%

发文量

1870

审稿时长

14 weeks

期刊介绍： Frontiers in Veterinary Science is a global, peer-reviewed, Open Access journal that bridges animal and human health, brings a comparative approach to medical and surgical challenges, and advances innovative biotechnology and therapy. Veterinary research today is interdisciplinary, collaborative, and socially relevant, transforming how we understand and investigate animal health and disease. Fundamental research in emerging infectious diseases, predictive genomics, stem cell therapy, and translational modelling is grounded within the integrative social context of public and environmental health, wildlife conservation, novel biomarkers, societal well-being, and cutting-edge clinical practice and specialization. Frontiers in Veterinary Science brings a 21st-century approach—networked, collaborative, and Open Access—to communicate this progress and innovation to both the specialist and to the wider audience of readers in the field. Frontiers in Veterinary Science publishes articles on outstanding discoveries across a wide spectrum of translational, foundational, and clinical research. The journal''s mission is to bring all relevant veterinary sciences together on a single platform with the goal of improving animal and human health.