First Report of <i>aacC5-aadA7Δ4</i> Gene Cassette Array and Phage Tail Tape Measure Protein on Class 1 Integrons of <i>Campylobacter</i> Species Isolated from Animal and Human Sources in Egypt

oleh: Norhan K. Abd El-Aziz, Ahmed M. Ammar, Mona M. Hamdy, Adil A. Gobouri, Ehab Azab, Alaa H. Sewid

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2020-11-01

Deskripsi

<i>Campylobacter</i> species are common commensals in the gastrointestinal tract of livestock animals; thus, animal-to-human transmission occurs frequently. We investigated for the first time, class 1 integrons and associated gene cassettes among pan drug-resistant (PDR), extensively drug-resistant (XDR), and multidrug-resistant (MDR) <i>Campylobacter</i> species isolated from livestock animals and humans in Egypt. <i>Campylobacter</i> species were detected in 58.11% of the analyzed chicken samples represented as 67.53% <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i><i>(C. jejuni</i>) and 32.47% <i>Campylobacter coli</i> (<i>C. coli</i>). <i>C. jejuni</i> isolates were reported in 51.42%, 74.28%, and 66.67% of examined minced meat, raw milk, and human stool samples, respectively. Variable antimicrobial resistance phenotypes; PDR (2.55%), XDR (68.94%), and MDR (28.5%) campylobacters were reported. Molecular analysis revealed that 97.36% of examined campylobacters were <i>integrase</i> gene-positive; all harbored the class 1 integrons, except one possessed an empty integron structure. DNA sequence analysis revealed the predominance of <i>aadA</i> (81.08%) and <i>dfrA</i> (67.56%) alleles accounting for resistance to aminoglycosides and trimethoprim, respectively. This is the first report of <i>aacC5-aadA7Δ4</i> gene cassette array and a putative phage tail tape measure protein on class 1 integrons of <i>Campylobacter</i> isolates. Evidence from this study showed the possibility of <i>Campylobacter</i>–bacteriophage interactions and treatment failure in animals and humans due to horizontal gene transfer mediated by class 1 integrons.