Dissemination of mcr-1 and β-lactamase genes among Pseudomonas aeruginosa: molecular characterization of MDR strains in broiler chicks and dead-in-shell chicks infections.

Objectives: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is one of the most serious pathogens implicated in antimicrobial resistance, and it has been identified as an ESKAPE along with other extremely significant multidrug resistance pathogens. The present study was carried out to explore prevalence, antibiotic susceptibility phenotypes, virulence-associated genes, integron (int1), colistin (mcr-1), and β-lactamase resistance' genes (ESBls), as well as biofilm profiling of P. aeruginosa isolated from broiler chicks and dead in-shell chicks.

Design: A total of 300 samples from broiler chicks (n = 200) and dead in-shell chicks (n = 100) collected from different farms and hatcheries located at Mansoura, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt were included in this study. Bacteriological examination was performed by cultivation of the samples on the surface of both Cetrimide and MacConkey's agar. Presumptive colonies were then subjected to biochemical tests and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) targeting 16S rRNA. The recovered isolates were tested for the presence of three selected virulence-associated genes (lasB, toxA, and exoS). Furthermore, the retrieved isolates were subjected to phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method as well as phenotypic detection of ESBLs by both Double Disc Synergy Test (DDST) and the Phenotypic Confirmatory Disc Diffusion Test (PCDDT). P. aeruginosa isolates were then tested for the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs): int1, mcr-1, and ESBL genes (OXA-10, OXA-2, VEB-1, SHV, TEM, and CTX-M). Additionally, biofilm production was examined by the Tube Adherent method (TA) and Microtiter Plate assay (MTP).

Results: Fifty -five isolates were confirmed to be P. aeruginosa, including 35 isolates from broiler chicks and 20 isolates from dead in-shell chicks. The three tested virulence genes (lasB, toxA, and exoS) were detected in all isolates. Antibiogram results showed complete resistance against penicillin, amoxicillin, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, streptomycin, erythromycin, spectinomycin, and doxycycline, while a higher sensitivity was observed against meropenem, imipenem, colistin sulfate, ciprofloxacin, and gentamicin. ESBL production was confirmed in 12 (21.8%) and 15 (27.3%) isolates by DDST and PCDDT, respectively. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs): int1, mcr-1, and ESBL genes (OXA-10, SHV, TEM, and CTX-M), were detected in 87.3%, 18.2%, 16.4%, 69.1%, 72.7%, and 54.5% of the examined isolates respectively, whereas no isolate harbored the OXA-2 or VEB-1 genes. Based on the results of both methods used for detection of biofilm formation, Kappa statistics [kappa 0.324] revealed a poor agreement between both methods.

Conclusions: the emergence of mcr-1 and its coexistence with other resistance genes such as β-lactamase genes, particularly bla_OXA-10, for the first time in P. aeruginosa from young broiler chicks and dead in-shell chicks in Egypt pose a risk not only to the poultry industry but also to public health.