Environmental surveillance in Chile reveals a multidrug-resistant Salmonella Amager from an emerging...

The spread of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing and fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonella pose a global public health challenge in addition to the high burden of infections associated with this foodborne pathogen. In this study, we aimed to characterize a multidrug-resistant strain of Salmonella serovar Amager isolated from a Chilean river in October 2023. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed a resistance phenotype against multiple antibiotic families, including fluoroquinolones and β-lactams, showing ESBL production. Hybrid genome sequencing allowed the identification of a 311,303 bp plasmid carrying the aadA1, aph(4)-Ia, aac(3)-IVa, floR, sul1, tet(A), and bla_CTX-M-65 genes, sharing 99.98% sequence identity with the Salmonella Infantis pESI-like megaplasmid. In addition, the qnrB19 gene was found in a ≈ 2.7 kbp plasmid of widespread distribution. Population structure and temporal phylogenetic analysis at the global scale revealed the emergence of a Salmonella Amager lineage from the HC20_35565 cluster, carrying the Salmonella Infantis bla_CTX-M-65-positive pESI-like megaplasmid and causing human infections in the United States and the United Kingdom. Our work describes the environmental detection and characterization of a Salmonella lineage with resistance against first-line antibiotics used for treating severe infections, underscoring the relevance of environmental surveillance as a means for detecting emergent pathogens and anticipating human infections.