Drug resistance and virulence traits of Acinetobacter baumannii from Turkey and chicken raw meat

Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is a miscellaneous bacterium with ability of extensive antibiotic resistance. A. baumannii strains have also been isolated from animal origins. The objective of our atudy was characterization of A. baumannii antibiotic resistance and virulence traits from turkey and chicken raw meat. Of 576 turkey and 424 chicken specimens during 2017-2019, 200 (120 from turkey and 80 from chicken) isolates were identified as A. baumannii. Virulence factors and antibiotic resistance patterns of A. baumannii were determined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique and Kirby-Bauer test. All the isolates were resistant to tetracycline and cefoxitin and 81 % and 56 % of them produced ESBLs and carbapenemases. Also 74 % of them (34 % from chicken and 40 % from turkey) were multidrug-resistant (MDR) A. baumannii. Colistin and fosfomycin non-susceptibility was detected among 12 % and 10 % of them, respectively. The existence of tetA, dfrA, tetB, bla_oxa-51-like, bla_oxa-23-like, sul1, bla_oxa-24-like, bla_oxa-58-like, fosA3 and mcr-1 genes accounted for 80 %, 71 %, 70.5 %, 66 %, 62 %, 43 %, 34 %, 22 %, 11 % and 13 % of them, repectively. Additionally, predominant virulence factors included the fimH, afa/draBC, sfa/foc DE, cnfI and cnf2 genes. The rate of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors was not significantly different between turkey and chicken (p > 0.05). High rate of antibiotic non-susceptibility even against last-line resorts in poultry products is a concern and suggest that animals play a potential role as reservoirs of transmission of MDR A. baumannii.

Keywords: Acinetobacter baumannii; Antibiotic resistance; Poultry raw meat; Virulence factors.