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The Application of Open Searching-based Approaches for the Identification of Acinetobacter baumannii O-linked Glycopeptides
Published on: November 2, 2021
Epidemiological and genomic analysis of Acinetobacter baumannii strains from retailed raw meat
Leila Hamze1, Raquel Garcia-Fierro1, Antoine Drapeau1
1ANSES - Université de Lyon, Unité Antibiorésistance et Virulence Bactériennes, Lyon, France.
Abstract:
Acinetobacter baumannii causes hospital-acquired infections in human patients with compromised immune system. Strains associated to nosocomial infections are often resistant to carbapenems and belong to few international clones (IC1-11). A. baumannii strains have been found in extra-hospital sources including food products. While molecular epidemiology of A. baumannii is well described in hospital settings, extra-hospital settings remain poorly investigated. In the frame of two screening campaigns for the presence of Gram-negative bacteria in retailed raw meat, we collected 70 A. baumannii isolates. To investigate if there was a genetic link between food isolates and those causing infections in humans, a core-genome pyMLST analysis was conducted including genomes from different sources as well as representatives of the IC1-11 (n = 224) retrieved from the NCBI database. Strains from raw meat were genetically diverse with 49 sequence types present among the 70 isolates. The core-genome phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that some A. baumannii strains from raw meat shared high genomic similarity with strains associated to human infections carrying carbapenem-resistance genes and belonging to IC11 and other clonal complexes (CC) that are emerging globally, like CC33. Strains from raw meat were able to acquire genes conferring carbapenem-resistance in vitro. If A. baumannii cannot be considered as a food-borne pathogen, colonization of raw meat can favor the propagation of this species in the community, facilitating the entrance of novel clones in the hospital environment. Once entering hospital settings, susceptible clones could turn into multidrug-resistant lineages under strong selective pressure. To avoid this risk, accurate hands and kitchen utensils hygiene should be recommended to all those in contact with raw meat.
Insights
Acinetobacter baumannii, a cause of hospital infections, was found in raw meat. Some meat strains are genetically similar to human pathogens and can acquire carbapenem resistance, posing a community and hospital risk.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genomics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Acinetobacter baumannii is a significant cause of hospital-acquired infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals.
- Nosocomial A. baumannii strains often exhibit carbapenem resistance and belong to specific international clones (IC1-11).
- While hospital epidemiology is well-studied, the presence and genetic links of A. baumannii in extra-hospital environments, like food, are less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic relatedness between A. baumannii strains found in retailed raw meat and those causing human infections.
- To assess the diversity and potential public health implications of A. baumannii in food sources.
Main Methods:
- Collected 70 A. baumannii isolates from two screening campaigns of retailed raw meat.
- Performed core-genome multi-locus sequence typing (pyMLST) analysis.
- Compared food-derived genomes with human-associated A. baumannii genomes from the NCBI database, including IC1-11 representatives.
Main Results:
- Identified 49 distinct sequence types among the 70 raw meat isolates, indicating genetic diversity.
- Demonstrated high genomic similarity between some raw meat A. baumannii strains and human infection-associated strains, including those with carbapenem resistance genes and belonging to IC11 and emerging clonal complexes (e.g., CC33).
- Showed that raw meat strains could acquire carbapenem resistance genes in vitro.
Conclusions:
- Raw meat can be a reservoir for A. baumannii, potentially facilitating the spread of clinically relevant clones into the community and hospital settings.
- While not a typical foodborne pathogen, A. baumannii in raw meat poses a risk for the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains.
- Emphasized the importance of strict hygiene practices (hand washing, utensil cleaning) when handling raw meat to mitigate transmission risks.
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