First Report and Characterization of a Plasmid-Encoded <i>bla</i><sub>SFO-1</sub> in a Multi-Drug-Resistant <i>Aeromonas hydrophila</i> Clinical Isolate

oleh: Troy Skwor, Dan Christopher Jones, Caitlin Cahak, Ryan J. Newton

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2024-02-01

Deskripsi

Antibiotic resistance remains one of the most pressing public health issues facing the world today. At the forefront of this battle lies the ever-increasing identification of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and carbapenemases within human pathogens, conferring resistance towards broad-spectrum and last-resort antimicrobials. This study was prompted due to the identification of a pathogenic <i>Aeromonas hydrophila</i> isolate (strain MAH-4) collected from abdominal fluid, which presented a robust resistance pattern against second-, third-, and fourth-generation cephalosporins, ertapenem, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin, and beta lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations. Whole genome sequencing was performed and identified a 328 kb plasmid (pMAH4) encoding 10 antibiotic resistance genes, including <i>bla</i><sub>SFO-1</sub>, <i>bla</i><sub>TEM-1</sub>, and <i>bla</i><sub>OXA-1</sub> of <i>A. hydrophia</i> MAH-4. This is the first report of beta-lactamase SFO-1 within a clinical strain of <i>Aeromonas</i>. Due to the remarkable sequence identity of pMAH4 to plasmids associated with <i>Enterobacterales</i> genera like <i>Klebsiella</i> and the extensive capabilities of <i>Aeromonas</i> for horizontal gene transfer, our identification of a clinical isolate encoding SFO-1 on a plasmid suggests antibiotic resistance gene mobility between <i>Enterobacterales</i> and non-<i>Enterobacterales</i> species.