Draft Genome Sequences of Colistin-Resistant and mcr-1.1-Carrying Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Irrigation Water.

Colistin has been classified as a highest priority critically important antibiotic. However, the emergence of mobile colistin resistance (mcr) genes has threatened the therapeutic uses of colistin. Here, we report the draft genome sequences, antibiotic resistance genes, and sequence types (STs) of two multidrug-resistant and mcr-1.1-positive Escherichia coli strains isolated from irrigation water.

Draft Genome Sequences of Multidrug-Resistant and mcr-1.1-Harboring Escherichia coli Isolated from Drinking and Well Waters Used in Syrian Refugee Camps.

Resistance to colistin, a last-resort antibiotic, threatens the treatment of complicated infections, especially in susceptible populations such as Syrian refugees who live in makeshift camps. Two multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli strains with the plasmid-borne colistin resistance gene (mcr-1.1) were isolated from the waters used by refugees and sequenced to analyze antibiotic resistance determinants.

First Nation-Wide Analysis of Food Safety and Acceptability Data in Lebanon.

The challenges to food safety in Lebanon are numerous and have coalesced to pose a serious public health concern. This is evident in well-documented food poisoning outbreaks and adulteration cases. In response, the Lebanese government initiated an unprecedented food safety campaign (2015-2017) that aimed to test food samples that were randomly collected from foodservices and industries across the country. The data were made available publicly, but they were never analyzed to prioritize and determine high risk foods and most prevalent contaminants nationally or across governorates. To answer these questions, we performed an in-depth statistical analysis of the data, which included 11,625 individual food samples. Our analysis showed that water (55% of tested water samples), spices (49.3%), red meat (34.4%), poultry (30.9%) and dairy (28.3%) were the main foods associated with the highest rejection rates. The most common biological contaminants detected in rejected foods were sulfate-reducing bacteria (34.7%), Escherichia coli (32.1%), coliforms (19.6%), Staphylococcus aureus (12.8%), and Salmonella (11.6%). We conclude that Lebanon needs rigorous and sustainable programs to monitor the quality and safety of foods. Given the lack of resources, we recommend putting emphasis on extensive outreach programs that aim at enhancing food safety knowledge from farm to fork.

Prevalence and Loads of Fecal Pollution Indicators and the Antibiotic Resistance Phenotypes of Escherichia coli in Raw Minced Beef in Lebanon.

Meat is an important source of high biological value proteins as well as many vitamins and minerals. In Lebanon, beef meats, including raw minced beef, are among the most consumed of the meat products. However, minced beef meat can also be an important source of foodborne illnesses. This is of a major concern, because food safety in Lebanon suffers from well-documented challenges. Consequently, the prevalence and loads of fecal coliforms and Escherichia coli were quantified to assess the microbiological acceptability of minced beef meat in Lebanon. Additionally, antibiotic resistance phenotypes of the E. coli were determined in response to concerns about the emergence of resistance in food matrices in Lebanon. A total of 50 meat samples and 120 E. coli isolates were analyzed. Results showed that 98% and 76% of meat samples harbored fecal coliforms and E. coli above the microbial acceptance level, respectively. All E. coli were resistant to at least one antibiotic, while 35% of the isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR). The results suggest that Lebanon needs to (1) update food safety systems to track and reduce the levels of potential contamination in important foods and (2) implement programs to control the proliferation of antimicrobial resistance in food systems.