Prevalence of Colistin Resistance in<i>Escherichia coli</i>in Eastern Turkey and Genomic Characterization of an<i>mcr-1</i>Positive Strain from Retail Chicken Meat

Colistin is one of the most effective antibiotics against multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacteria. However, the recent emergence of plasmid-borne mobilized colistin resistance (mcr) genes is considered a serious antimicrobial resistance challenge worldwide. In this study, we report detection of anmcr-1carryingEscherichia coliisolate (named ATAVETmcr-1 Turkey) from retail raw chicken meat in Turkey. Of the 11 (from 500 total tested) phenotypically colistin-resistant isolates, 1 was shown to carry themcr-1gene by PCR. Whole-genome sequencing indicated thatmcr-1was located on a similar to 13 kb-long contig that was almost identical to the corresponding part in pZJ1635, an IncI2 plasmid encodingmcr-1in the same genetic context in anotherE. colistrain. In addition, ATAVETmcr-1 Turkey harboredbla(CTX-M-8),qnrB19,mdf(A),tet(A),sul2,aph(3 '')-Ib,aph(6)-Id, andfloRresistance genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on whole genome and multilocus sequence typing indicated that ATAVETmcr-1 Turkey was more closely related tomcr-1carryingE. coliisolates from food and human clinical samples previously reported from different parts of the world than to those from Turkey. These findings further emphasize the worldwide emergence and spread ofmcrmeditated colistin resistance in bacteria with zoonotic potential within animals and the food chain.

Journal

MICROBIAL DRUG RESISTANCE

Year

2021

Volume

27

Issue

3

Pages

424-432

ISSN

1076-6294

eISSN

1931-8448

DOI

10.1089/mdr.2020.0209

WoS UID

WOS:000556064800001