Identification of Streptomycin-Resistant Erwinia amylovora in Iowa

Erwinia amylovora is a bacterial pathogen that causes fire blight, an important disease in apples and pears. Applying the antibiotic streptomycin during the phenological bloom stage is considered the most effective management tactic for fire blight. Although streptomycin-resistant (SmR) E. amylovora populations have emerged in major U.S. apple-producing regions, antibiotic resistance data for medium- to small-sized apple-producing regions such as the Midwest are still lacking. This Short Communication article collected symptomatic fire blight samples from Iowa apple orchards during 2022 and 2023, where recent fire blight outbreaks persisted despite streptomycin use. Among E. amylovora isolates from seven counties in Central and Eastern Iowa, approximately 90% of them were SmR. All SmR isolates exhibited a single base pair mutation in codon 43 of the rpsL gene, conferring resistance to streptomycin levels exceeding 1,000 μg/ml. Through clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) analysis, we characterized two E. amylovora genotypes unique to our region. Whole genome sequencing of one representative SmR isolate, IA01, confirmed its CRISPR genotype, and subsequent phylogenetic analysis suggested that IA01 is genetically similar to Michigan isolates and distinct from those in eastern and western regions of North America. Furthermore, the disease-causing ability of IA01 was comparable to that of the highly virulent Ea110 strain, a streptomycin-sensitive strain isolated from Michigan, in immature pears. Overall, this study underscores the urgent need for regional strategies to address antibiotic resistance and provides insights into its genetic basis and geographic distribution, which are crucial for sustainable orchard management.