Four New Sequence Types and Molecular Characteristics of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli Strains from Foods in Thailand
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Issued Date
2024-10-01
Resource Type
eISSN
20796382
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85207635044
Journal Title
Antibiotics
Volume
13
Issue
10
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Antibiotics Vol.13 No.10 (2024)
Suggested Citation
Thadtapong N., Chaturongakul S., Tangphatsornruang S., Sonthirod C., Ngamwongsatit N., Aunpad R. Four New Sequence Types and Molecular Characteristics of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli Strains from Foods in Thailand. Antibiotics Vol.13 No.10 (2024). doi:10.3390/antibiotics13100935 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/101898
Title
Four New Sequence Types and Molecular Characteristics of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli Strains from Foods in Thailand
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
The presence of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli in food is a serious and persistent problem worldwide. In this study, 68 E. coli strains isolated from Thai food samples were characterized. Based on antibiotic susceptibility assays, 31 of these isolates (45.59%) showed multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index values > 0.2, indicating high exposure to antibiotics. Among these, strain CM24E showed the highest resistance (it was resistant to ten antibiotics, including colistin and imipenem). Based on genome sequencing, we identified four isolates (namely, CF25E, EF37E, NM10E1, and SF50E) with novel Achtman-scheme multi-locus sequence types (STs) (ST14859, ST14866, ST14753, and ST14869, respectively). Clermont phylogrouping was used to subtype the 68 researched isolates into five Clermont types, mainly A (51.47%) and B1 (41.18%). The blaEC gene was found only in Clermont type A, while the blaEC-13 gene was predominant in Clermont type B1. A correlation between genotypes and phenotypes was found only in Clermont type B1, which showed a strong positive correlation between the presence of an afa operon and yersiniabactin-producing gene clusters with the colistin resistance phenotype. Strain SM47E1, of Clermont type B2, carried the highest number of predicted virulence genes. In summary, this study demonstrates the pressing problems posed by the prevalence and potential transmission of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes in the food matrix.