Unveiling the Genetic Diversity and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Salmonella Population From 2016 to 2020 in Thai Canal Water

Abstract

Salmonella is one of the important pathogens causing acute gastroenteritis, and antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella raises a critical public health concern. Canals in Bangkok, Thailand, play a vital role as sources of agricultural and daily water usage. By employing whole genome sequencing to analyse 351 Salmonella genomes isolated between 2016 and 2020, we expanded the understanding of the characteristics and antimicrobial resistance properties of Salmonella enterica found in Bangkok canals, an underrepresented biome in research. Salmonella Agona was the dominant serotype, while S. Typhimurium and its monophasic variant were periodically found. Seven new sequence types (STs) were identified, including STs 11,346, 11,347, 11,348, 11,349, 11,350, 11,351, and 11,352. Seven chromosomal-mediated gene mutations and 50 antimicrobial resistance genes were detected. The three most common resistance genes were tet(A), bla<inf>TEM-1B</inf>, and qnrS1. The tet(X4) was first identified in the Salmonella population in Thailand, and mcr-3.1 was also detected. In total, 39.0% of the strains were potentially multidrug-resistant. The strains carried double amino acid substitutions in GyrA and ParC, and a strain with GyrA substitutions and qnrS1 exhibited the strongest resistance to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin. Most of the ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, and cefotaxime-resistant strains (66.7%) harboured bla<inf>CTX-M-55</inf>. Col(pHAD28) was the predominant plasmid replicon type. Phylogenetic analysis of Salmonella STs 34 and 213 from canal water and the strains from databases showed the possibility of circulation of STs 34 and 213 between canal water and humans in Thailand and worldwide. These findings shed light on the circulation of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in the environmental water and advocate for incorporating environmental sampling into comprehensive AMR surveillance programmes within a One Health framework.