Carbapenem-resistant Originating from Farm Animals and People in Egypt.

INTRODUCTION

Carbapenem-resistant (CRPA) has become the leading cause of health care-associated infections. Treatment is difficult due to the lack of an effective antimicrobial therapy, and mortality is high. This study investigated the occurrence of CRPA in farm animals (buffaloes and cattle), livestock drinking water, and humans in Egypt.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 180 samples were examined: 50 faecal each from buffaloes and cattle, 30 of livestock drinking water, and 50 stool from humans. The samples were cultured on cetrimide agar and the plates were incubated aerobically at 37°C for 24 h. The isolates were examined for the presence of the , , and carbapenemase-encoding genes using PCR and investigated for the exotoxin A () gene. The gene from carbapenem- group resistant isolates was phylogenetically analysed.

RESULTS

was isolated from buffaloes, cattle, drinking water, and humans, with occurrences of 40%, 34%, 10%, and 20%, respectively. Carbapenem resistance genes were found in 60%, 59%, 67%, and 70% in buffalo, cattle, water and human samples, respectively. The gene was detected in 80% of samples. The phylogenetic analysis showed that cattle and water sequences were in one cluster and more related to each other than to human isolates.

CONCLUSION

Occurrence of CRPA among farm animals, drinking water, and humans was high, reflecting the environmental origin of and highlighting contaminated water as a potential transmitter of CRPA to livestock and next to humans.