Integron-mediated multidrug resistance in a global collection of nontyphoidal Salmonella enterica isolates

Emerg Infect Dis. 2009 Mar;15(3):388-96. doi: 10.3201/eid1503.081131.

Abstract

Salmonella enterica bacteria have become increasingly resistant to antimicrobial agents, partly as a result of genes carried on integrons. Clonal expansion and horizontal gene transfer may contribute to the spread of antimicrobial drug-resistance integrons in these organisms. We investigated this resistance and integron carriage among 90 isolates with the ACSSuT phenotype (resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, and tetracycline) in a global collection of S. enterica isolates. Four integrons, dfrA12/orfF/aadA2, dfrA1/aadA1, dfrA7, and arr2/blaOXA30/cmlA5/aadA2, were found in genetically unrelated isolates from 8 countries on 4 continents, which supports a role for horizontal gene transfer in the global dissemination of S. enterica multidrug resistance. Serovar Typhimurium isolates containing identical integrons with the gene cassettes blaPSE1 and aadA2 were found in 4 countries on 3 continents, which supports the role of clonal expansion. This study demonstrates that clonal expansion and horizontal gene transfer contribute to the global dissemination of antimicrobial drug resistance in S. enterica.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / genetics*
  • Gene Transfer, Horizontal
  • Global Health*
  • Humans
  • Integrons / genetics*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Salmonella Infections / microbiology
  • Salmonella Infections / transmission
  • Salmonella enterica / classification
  • Salmonella enterica / drug effects*
  • Salmonella enterica / genetics
  • Salmonella enterica / isolation & purification
  • Salmonella typhimurium / drug effects
  • Salmonella typhimurium / genetics
  • Salmonella typhimurium / isolation & purification
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Serotyping

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins