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Antimicrobial Resistance-Transducing Bacteriophages Isolated from Surfaces of Equine Surgery Clinics - A Pilot Study

Miriam Hilbert1, Isabella Csadek1, Ulrike Auer2

  • 1Institute of Meat Hygiene, Meat Technology and Food Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.

European Journal of Microbiology & Immunology
|February 7, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Bacteriophages, or phages, isolated from an equine clinic

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Microbiology
  • Antimicrobial Resistance
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Horizontal gene transfer of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is crucial in clinical settings.
  • Bacteriophage-mediated transduction was historically considered a rare AMR transfer mechanism compared to plasmids and transposons.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and potential of bacteriophages to transfer antimicrobial resistance genes in an equine clinical environment.
  • To assess the role of phages in AMR dissemination within veterinary surgical suites.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation of coliphages from environmental surfaces within an equine clinic's surgery suite.
  • Sampling conducted pre- and post-cleaning and disinfection protocols.
  • Testing of isolated phages for their capacity to transduce specific antimicrobial resistance genes.

Main Results:

  • Coliphages were detected at 24 of 31 sampled sites, including 12 sites post-disinfection.
  • Ten of 31 tested phages demonstrated the ability to transfer antimicrobial resistance.
  • Streptomycin resistance (addA1 gene) was the most frequently transduced resistance, followed by chloramphenicol (cmlA) and ampicillin.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides the first evidence of antimicrobial resistance-transferring bacteriophages isolated from an equine veterinary clinic.
  • Phages represent a potential, previously underestimated, vector for AMR gene transfer in equine clinical environments.
  • Findings highlight the need to consider phage-mediated transduction in veterinary hygiene and infection control strategies.
Keywords:
Escherichia coliantimicrobial resistanceequinephagesurgery

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