Emergence of a multidrug-resistant hypervirulent Pasteurella multocida ST342 strain with a floR-carrying plasmid

• Main Authors: Dekang Zhu, Danlong Yuan, Mingshu Wang, Renyong Jia, Shun Chen, Mafeng Liu, Xinxin Zhao, Qiao Yang, Ying Wu, Shaqiu Zhang, Juan Huang, Yunya Liu, Ling Zhang, Yanling Yu, Leichang Pan, Xiaoyue Chen, Anchun Cheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2020-03-01
• Series: Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance
• Subjects: Pasteurella multocida; Multidrug-resistant; Hypervirulent; Plasmid
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213716519302450
• ISSN: 2213-7165

Objectives: To date, very few hypervirulent and multiantibiotic-resistant bacterial strains have been reported. This study reports the first hypervirulent and multiantibiotic-resistant Pasteurella multocida sequence type 342 (ST342) strain (GH161213) isolated from a Pekin duck in China. Methods: Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines (VET01-A4, 2013). Determination of the P. multocida GH161213 median lethal dose (LD50) was determined in a mouse model and in ducklings. Plasmid pRCAD0338PM-1 was transferred to Escherichia coli J53Azr by conjugation. The whole genome sequence of P. multocida GH161213 was obtained using an Illumina HiSeq 2500 system. Antimicrobial resistance genes were analysed using the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD). Results: Pasteurella multocida GH161213 is a hypervirulent strain with an LD50 of <10 CFU in a mouse model and in ducklings. It also has a high level of multidrug resistance. Strain GH161213 contains a small conjugative plasmid harbouring the floR florfenicol resistance gene. It also contains multiple other antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. Conclusion: The genome sequence of P. multocida GH161213 reveals a multidrug-resistant genotype. This is the first reported hypervirulent and multiantibiotic-resistant P. multocida strain.