Detection of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria from imported reptile and amphibian meats

Abstract

Aims: The food supply is a potential source of antimicrobial resistance. Current surveillance programmes targeting food are limited to beef, pork and poultry and do not capture niche products. In this study, imported reptile and amphibian products were screened for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Methods and Results: In all, 53 items including soft shell turtles, frog legs, geckos, snakes and a turtle carapace were purchased from specialty markets in Vancouver and Saskatoon, Canada. Samples were selectively cultured for Salmonella sp., Escherichia coli, extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae and meropenem-resistant organisms. Salmonella, all pan-susceptible, were grown from six dried geckos. Escherichia coli were isolated from 19 samples, including ESBL producers from six items. One multidrug-resistant E. coli possessed both the blaCTX-M-55 and mcr-1 genes. An NDM-1-producing Acinetobacter sp. was also isolated from a dried turtle carapace. Conclusions: Our results suggest that imported reptile and amphibian meats are an underappreciated source of resistant bacteria. Significance and Impact of the Study: The international trade of food may play a role in the dissemination of resistant bacteria. The presence of these bacteria in niche market foods represents a risk of unknown magnitude to public health and a gap in current national resistance surveillance programmes.