High prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase, plasmid-mediated AmpC, and carbapenemase genes in pet food

Salome N Seiffert; Alessandra Carattoli; Regula Tinguely; Agnese Lupo; Vincent Perreten; Andrea Endimiani

doi:10.1128/AAC.03185-14

High prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase, plasmid-mediated AmpC, and carbapenemase genes in pet food

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2014 Oct;58(10):6320-3. doi: 10.1128/AAC.03185-14. Epub 2014 Aug 4.

Authors

Salome N Seiffert¹, Alessandra Carattoli², Regula Tinguely³, Agnese Lupo³, Vincent Perreten⁴, Andrea Endimiani⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
² Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
³ Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
⁴ Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
⁵ Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland [email protected].

Abstract

We evaluated the pet food contained in 30 packages as a potential origin of extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant Gram-negative organisms and β-lactamase genes (bla). Live bacteria were not detected by selective culture. However, PCR investigations on food DNA extracts indicated that samples harbored the blaCTX-M-15 (53.3%), blaCMY-4 (20%), and blaVEB-4-like (6.7%) genes. Particularly worrisome was the presence of blaOXA-48-like carbapenemases (13.3%). The original pet food ingredients and/or the production processes were highly contaminated with bacteria carrying clinically relevant acquired bla genes.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
Gram-Negative Bacteria / drug effects
Gram-Negative Bacteria / genetics
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Plasmids / genetics*
Polymerase Chain Reaction
beta-Lactamases / genetics*

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Bacterial Proteins
beta-Lactamases
carbapenemase