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Enrichment and Detection of Clostridium perfringens Toxinotypes in Retail Food Samples
Published on: October 18, 2019
Molecular characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of Clostridium perfringens from different regions in China, from
Jia Xin Zhong1, Hao Ran Zheng1, Yuan Yuan Wang1
1State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
Abstract:
Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) is a significant foodborne pathogen and a common cause of intestinal diseases in both animals and humans. Our study investigated MLST, phenotypic antimicrobial resistance profiles, and resistance genes among isolates from human, animal and food. 186 C. perfringens isolates were obtained from nine provinces in China between 2013 and 2021. Additionally, some specific ST complexes were analyzed by cgMLST and cgSNP to investigate genetic relatedness. MLST indicated the most prevalent STs of C. perfringens of human and animal origin were as follows: ST221 (5/147), ST62 (4/147), ST408 (4/147), and ST493 (4/147) were predominant in humans, while ST479 (5/25) was the major type in animals. Within the same ST complex, genetically unrelated relationships or potential clustering/transmission events were further recognized by cgMLST and cgSNP, illustrating that these two methods are valuable in defining outbreaks and transmission events. All tested isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and meropenem. The rates of resistance to metronidazole, penicillin, cefoxitin, moxifloxacin, and chloramphenicol were low (metronidazole: 1.08%; penicillin: 9.68%; cefoxitin: 0.54%; moxifloxacin: 6.45%; and chloramphenicol: 3.76%). Interestingly, 49.66% of human origin were clindamycin-resistant, and 18.2% were penicillin-insensitive. Importantly, the portion of MDR isolates was significantly lower than in previous reports. The study provides an overview of the epidemiological characteristics of C. perfringens with different origins and hosts in China. C. perfringens demonstrated remarkable genetic diversity and distinct molecular features compared to antibiotic-resistance profiles from other studies.
Insights
This study analyzed Clostridium perfringens isolates from China, revealing genetic diversity and varying antimicrobial resistance patterns. While generally susceptible to many antibiotics, resistance to clindamycin was notable in human isolates.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Foodborne Pathogens
- Antimicrobial Resistance
Background:
- Clostridium perfringens is a major foodborne pathogen causing intestinal diseases in humans and animals.
- Understanding its genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is crucial for public health.
- Previous studies on C. perfringens AMR profiles in China are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular epidemiology, including Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST), and phenotypic antimicrobial resistance profiles of C. perfringens isolates.
- To identify resistance genes and analyze genetic relatedness using whole-genome sequencing-based methods (cgMLST and cgSNP).
- To provide an overview of C. perfringens characteristics from human, animal, and food sources in China.
Main Methods:
- Collected 186 C. perfringens isolates from nine Chinese provinces (2013-2021).
- Performed MLST, phenotypic antimicrobial resistance testing, and identified resistance genes.
- Utilized cgMLST and cgSNP for detailed genetic relatedness analysis of specific Sequence Typing Complex (STC) groups.
Main Results:
- Identified predominant Sequence Types (STs) in humans (e.g., ST221, ST62) and animals (e.g., ST479).
- All isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and meropenem; low resistance rates observed for metronidazole, penicillin, cefoxitin, moxifloxacin, and chloramphenicol.
- High clindamycin resistance (49.66%) and moderate penicillin insensitivity (18.2%) noted in human isolates; overall Multi-Drug Resistance (MDR) was lower than reported previously.
Conclusions:
- C. perfringens in China exhibits significant genetic diversity and distinct molecular features.
- Antimicrobial resistance patterns vary by host origin, with notable clindamycin resistance in human isolates.
- cgMLST and cgSNP are valuable tools for tracking C. perfringens outbreaks and transmission events.
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