• Dulmini Nanayakkara Sapugahawatte, Carmen Li, Chendi Zhu, Priyanga Dharmaratne, Kam Tak Wong, Norman Lo, and Margaret Ip.
• Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong, SAR.
• mSphere. 2020 Apr 15; 5 (2).

AbstractThis study identified and characterized extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) from farmed freshwater fish and pig offal procured from the wet markets across Hong Kong. During March 2018 to January 2019, 730 food animal samples, namely, 213 snakehead fish, 198 black carp, and 339 pig organs, were examined. ESBL-E and CPE were isolated from the homogenized samples plated on selective media and identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). All ESBL-E and CPE strains were tested for antimicrobial susceptibilities. ESBL-E and CPE gene groups were detected by multiplex PCR and bla CTX-M-1/-2/-9 group strains were Sanger sequenced for CTX-M types. All CPE isolates were whole-genome sequenced. Isolation of ESBL-E from pig small (52.4%) and large (50%) intestines and tongues (25.1%) was significantly (P < 0.05) more frequent than from snakehead (0.94%) and black carp (0.5%) fish. ESBL-E isolates (n = 171) revealed resistance rates of 16.3%, 29.8%, 35.6%, 53.2%, 55.0%, and 100% to piperacillin-tazobactam, amoxicillin-clavulanate, cefepime, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, and ampicillin, respectively, whereas CPE (n = 28) were resistant to almost all the antibiotics tested except gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, and fosfomycin. The predominant ESBL gene groups in fishes and pig offals were bla CTX, where bla CTX-M-55 was the major subtype in the bla CTX-M-1 group (64.4% of isolates in the group). bla CTX-M-14/-17 was the major genotype in the bla CTX-M-9 group (32.2%). All CPE strains possessed bla NDM genes. High rates of ESBL-E and CPE were identified in food animals from wet markets of Hong Kong, which may serve as a potential reservoir of antimicrobial-resistant genes and increase the challenges in tackling antimicrobial resistance beyond health care settings.IMPORTANCE Extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are of global health importance, yet there is a paucity of surveillance studies on food animals in Hong Kong. Here, we report a high prevalence of ESBL-E (ranging from 0.5% to 52.4%) and CPE (0% to 9.9%) from various food animal samples procured from wet markets across Hong Kong. All CPE strains were characterized by whole-genome sequencing and possessed NDM-1 and -5 genes and other resistance determinants. Given the increased resistance profile of these strains, this study highlights the emerging threat of ESBL-E and CPE disseminated in farmed animals. Furthermore, our data enriched our understanding of antibiotic resistance reservoirs from a One Health perspective that can widely spread across various niches, beyond health care settings.Copyright © 2020 Sapugahawatte et al.

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