Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Escherichia coli Isolates from Chicken Meat in Romania.

The current study was conducted in order to analyze the prevalence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in samples of chicken meat (100 chicken meat samples), as well as to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility of these isolates. A total of 30 samples were positive for E. coli among the collected chicken samples. Most isolates proved to be highly resistant to tetracycline (80%), ampicillin (80%), sulfamethoxazole (73.33%), chloramphenicol (70%) and nalidixic acid (60%). Strong resistance to ciprofloxacin (56.66%), trimethoprim (50%), cefotaxime (46.66%), ceftazidime (43.33%) and gentamicin (40%) was also observed. Notably, one E. coli strain also proved to be resistant to colistin. The antimicrobial resistance determinants detected among the E. coli isolates recovered in our study were consistent with their resistance phenotypes. Most of the isolates harbored the tetA (53.33%), tetB (46.66%), blaTEM (36.66%) and sul1 (26.66%) genes, but also aadA1 (23.33%), blaCTX (16.66%), blaOXA (16.66%), qnrA (16.66%) and aac (10%). In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge, this is among the first studies analyzing the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of E. coli strains isolated from chicken meat in Romania and probably the first study reporting colistin resistance in E. coli isolates recovered from food sources in our country.

Prevalence and Characterisation of Clostridium perfringens Isolates in Food-Producing Animals in Romania.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) recovered from animal faeces, as well as to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of such isolates. A total of 14 (14/100; 14%) C. perfringens isolates were isolated from the 100 analysed samples (twelve recovered from faecal samples collected from pigs and two from veal calves' faecal samples). The preponderant genotype was type A, with all isolates being cpa-positive. The most potent antimicrobial agents against C. perfringens proved to be vancomycin, rifampicin and lincomycin. A strong resistance to tetracycline (71.4%), penicillin (64.2%), erythromycin (42.8%) and enrofloxacin (35.7%) was also observed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first analysis regarding the prevalence, characterization and antimicrobial susceptibility of C. perfringens in food-producing animals in Romania, adding further evidence for the probable role of animals as a source of resistant C. perfringens strains.

Concerning Increase in Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Pathogenic Strains of Salmonella Isolated in Poultry Meat Products.

Salmonella is considered to be one of the major foodborne pathogens associated with the consumption of contaminated poultry meat products. To the best of our knowledge this is the first extended research performed on a number of Salmonella strains isolated during 2011-2021 from poultry meat products in Romania. The aim of this study was to characterize the prevalence of pathogenic Salmonella serovars, antimicrobial susceptibility, and antimicrobial resistance genes in 112 Salmonella isolates recovered from raw poultry meat products. The results showed that Salmonella enterica serovars Enteritidis and Typhimurium were the common serotypes (56%; 25%). Overall, the majority of the isolates were resistant to at least three tested antimicrobials. High resistance was observed for tetracycline (84%), nalidixic acid (78%), and ampicillin (78%) in pathogenic Salmonella isolated during the period 2016-2021. All the pathogenic Salmonella isolated during 2016-2021 tested positive to at least one resistance gene encoding for tetracycline resistance, with the tetA gene being the most prevalent (62%). In addition, 64% (24/37) of the Salmonella isolates carried at least one of the genes (blaCMY-2, blaSHV1, blaTEM1) that code for ß-Lactams resistance. The findings in this study showed a high prevalence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Salmonella serovars in poultry meat products and a concerning increase of resistance patterns. The continuous occurrence of more resistant strains implies that effective measures should be strictly applied in this particular food chain in order to prevent their spread and guarantee microbial safety.

Clostridioides difficile in Food-Producing Animals in Romania: First Study on the Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance.

At present, the epidemiology of the gastrointestinal disease caused by Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is starting to be slowly elucidated internationally, although information about the bacteria in the food supply chain is insufficient and, in many countries, even absent. The study was conducted in order to investigate the prevalence of C. difficile isolated from animal feces, as well as to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of such isolates. The presence of antibiotic resistance determinants has also been evaluated. Overall, a total of 24 (12.5%) C. difficile isolates were recovered (out of the 192 samples collected), the highest percentage of positive isolates being detected in the fecal samples collected from piglets (25%). The majority of the isolates recovered in the current study proved to be toxigenic. Moreover, all C. difficile isolates were susceptible to vancomycin, although a large proportion of the porcine isolates (50%) were resistant to levofloxacin. The tetW and erm(B) genes have also been identified in the porcine isolates. In conclusion, this is the first analysis of the prevalence of C. difficile in food-producing animals in Romania, and it adds further evidence about the possible role of animals as a source of resistant C. difficile strains and a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance determinants.

First study of Salmonella in meat in Romania.

INTRODUCTION: The increasing antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella isolates is of major public health concern, but information regarding these aspects is still lacking in Romania. This study focused on a detailed and accurate investigation concerning prevalence, serotypes, and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Salmonella strains, isolated from pork and chicken meat, collected from all regions of Romania in 2011. METHODOLOGY: The research was conducted on 650 samples of chicken and pork meat collected from production units and retail markets located in various regions of Romania. A total of 149 Salmonella isolates were recovered (22.92%), serotyped, confirmed by PCR, and further tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. RESULTS: Thirteen Salmonella serovars were identified; predominant serovars included Infantis, Typhimurium, Derby and Colindale. Multiple resistance was found in 83.22% (n = 124) of the isolates. The isolates were frequently resistant to tetracycline (80.53%), streptomycin (81.21%), sulfamethoxazole (87.25%), nalidixic acid (65.10%), and ciprofloxacin (42.95%). Additionally, a markedly lower resistance rate was observed for ampicillin (20.81%), chloramphenicol (16.78%), and ceftazidime (11.41%). Among 137 resistant Salmonella isolates, 35 different resistance patterns were found. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of Salmonella spp. and a relatively high resistance rate to multiple antimicrobials was found. This data indicates that chicken and pork meat could constitute a source of human exposure to multidrug-resistant Salmonella and therefore could be considered a potential vehicle of resistant Salmonella foodborne diseases. Further actions are needed to succesfully implement a national surveillance program for better monitoring of these resistant pathogens.